Cedrus brevifolia (Hook. f.) Henry, a species endemic to Cyprus, has not been studied regarding its constituents and potential biological activities.
Material and methods: A crude extract from Cedrus brevifolia bark and its four fractions (diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions) were investigated regarding their capacity to inhibit 15-lipoxygenase and scavenge reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals). Catechin was used as positive control in all antioxidant assays.
Results and discussion: In the superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, the crude extract showed the highest activity (EC50 = 57.73 +/- 1.25 microg/mL) comparable to that of the positive control, catechin (EC50 = 52.60 +/- 1.65 microg/mL). All other fractions exhibited noticeable scavenging effects against superoxide radical, their EC50 values ranging from 76.33 +/- 3.50 to 91.06 +/- 4.45 microg/mL. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were the most active in the hydroxyl radical scavenging (EC50 = 580.20 +/- 18.72 and 792.10 +/- 15.36 microg/mL, respectively) and 15-lipoxygenase inhibition assays (EC50 = 34.0 +/- 0.9 and 40.96 +/- 0.45 microg/mL, respectively).
Conclusions: Cedrus brevifolia bark is a valuable source of compounds with reactive oxygen species and 15-lipoxygenase inhibitory activities. These results support further studies for the identification and isolation of the bioactive constituents.