HPLC-MS Profiling, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, and Cytotoxicity Activities of Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq. Extracts

Hafedh Hajlaoui; Soumaya Arraouadi; Hedi Mighri; Siwar Ghannay; Kaïss Aouadi; Mohd Adnan; Abdelbaset Mohamed Elasbali; Emira Noumi; Mejdi Snoussi; Adel Kadri

doi:10.3390/plants11020232

HPLC-MS Profiling, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, and Cytotoxicity Activities of Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq. Extracts

Plants (Basel). 2022 Jan 17;11(2):232. doi: 10.3390/plants11020232.

Authors

Hafedh Hajlaoui¹, Soumaya Arraouadi^{2

3}, Hedi Mighri⁴, Siwar Ghannay⁵, Kaïss Aouadi^{5

6}, Mohd Adnan⁷, Abdelbaset Mohamed Elasbali⁸, Emira Noumi^{7

9}, Mejdi Snoussi^{7

10}, Adel Kadri^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit Valorization and Optimization of Resource Exploitation (UR16ES04), Faculty of Science and Technology of Sidi Bouzid, University of Kairouan, Campus University Agricultural City, Sidi Bouzid 9100, Tunisia.
² Regional Center of Agricultural Research (CRRA) Sidi Bouzid, Gafsa Road Km 6, PB 357, Sidi Bouzid 9100, Tunisia.
³ Laboratory of Valorization of Unconventional Waters, INRGREF, University of Carthage, Road Hedi EL Karray, El Menzah IV, PB 10, Ariana 2080, Tunisia.
⁴ Range Ecology Laboratory, Arid Region Institute, University of Gabes, El-Jorf Road Km 22.5, Medenine 4119, Tunisia.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Faculty of Sciences of Monastir, Avenue of the Environment, University of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia.
⁷ Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, P.O. Box 2440, Ha'il 81451, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Sakaka P.O. Box 2014, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Laboratory of Bioressources: Integrative Biology and Recovery, High Institute of Biotechnology-University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia.
¹⁰ Laboratory of Genetic, Biodiversity and Valorization of Bioressources, Higher Institute of Bio-Technology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue Taher Hadded BP 74, Monastir 5000, Tunisia.
¹¹ Faculty of Science and Arts in Baljurashi, Albaha University, P.O. Box 1988, Albaha 65527, Saudi Arabia.
¹² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P. 1171, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate for the first time the phytochemical constituents and biological properties of three (ethanol, acetone, and hexane) Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq. (A. indicum) extracts. Quantitative analysis revealed the significantly (p < 0.05) dominance of ethanolic extract on total polyphenol (TPC; 303.67 ± 4.16 mg GAE/g DR) and flavonoid (TFC; 55.33 ± 2.52 mg CE/g DR) contents than the other extracts, also displaying high and equipotent condensed tannin (TCTC) contents as the acetone extract. The qualitative HPLC-MS analysis elucidates 19 and 18 compounds in ethanolic and acetonic extracts, respectively, belonging to the phenolics and flavonoids chemical classes. The extracts were also screened for their in vitro antioxidant activities using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion, and ferric ion (Fe³⁺) reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), demonstrating the potent antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract, due to its stronger scavenging DPPH^• (IC₅₀ = 7.17 ± 1.26 μg/mL) which is not significantly (p > 0.05) different from the positive control, BHT (IC₅₀ = 10.70 ± 0.61 μg/mL), however moderate activity through FRAP and superoxide anion radicals have been observed. Four Gram-positive, four Gram-negative bacteria, and four pathogenic fungi were used for the antimicrobial activity. In addition, S. epidermidis, M. luteus, E. faecalis, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei were found to be the most susceptible strains towards ethanolic extract. Cytotoxicity values against human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT29) and human epidermoid cancer cells (Hep2), and one continuous cell lineage control (Vero) revealed that the HT29 cancer cell line was the most responsive to A. indicum shoot extract treatment and significantly (p < 0.05) different from the other cancer cells. Moreover, when tested for their antidiabetic inhibitory effect, ethanol extract recorded the highest antidiabetic effect with IC₅₀ = 13.17 ± 1.04 mg/mL, which is 8.4-fold higher than acetone extract. Therefore, the present study provides new findings on the use of A. indicum shoot ethanolic extract to cure many incurable diseases.

Keywords: Arthrocnemum indicum extracts; antidiabetic; antimicrobial; antioxidant; cytotoxicity; halophytes; phytochemicals.