Comparative evaluation of antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potential of Euphorbia-derived functional products

Rania Benjamaa; Hamza Elbouny; Hajare Errati; Abdelkarim Moujanni; Neha Kaushik; Ravi Gupta; OumKeltoum Ennibi; Boubker Nasser; Eun Ha Choi; Nagendra Kumar Kaushik; Abdelkhalid Essamadi

doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1345340

Comparative evaluation of antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potential of Euphorbia-derived functional products

Front Pharmacol. 2024 Feb 22:15:1345340. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1345340. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biochemistry, Neurosciences, Natural Resources and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Hassan First University of Settat, Settat, Morocco.
² Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco.
³ Laboratory of Agri-Food and Health, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Hassan First University, Settat, Morocco.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, The University of Suwon, Hwaseong, Republic of Korea.
⁵ College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry, Research Laboratory on Oral Biology and Biotechnology, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
⁷ Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

This study assessed the medicinal properties of Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg (E. resinifera) and Euphorbia officinarum subsp echinus (Hook.f. and Coss.) Vindt (Euphorbia echinus, known for their pharmaceutical benefits. Extracts from their flowers, stems, propolis, and honey were examined for phenolic content, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total condensed tannin (TCC) were determined using specific methods. Antioxidant potential was assessed through various tests including DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, and Total antioxidant capacity. Anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated using phenol-induced ear edema in rats, while antibacterial activity was measured against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538) and Gram-negative (E. coli ATCC 10536) bacteria. Among the extracts, the aqueous propolis extract of E. resinifera demonstrated exceptional antioxidant capabilities, with low IC₅₀ values for DPPH (0.07 ± 0.00 mg/mL) and ABTS (0.13 ± 0.00 mg/mL), as well as high TAC (176.72 ± 0.18 mg AA/mg extract) and FRAP (86.45 ± 1.45 mg AA/mg extract) values. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect of E. resinifera propolis extracts surpassed that of indomethacin, yielding edema percentages of 3.92% and 11.33% for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. Microbiological results indicated that the aqueous extract of E. resinifera flower exhibited the most potent inhibitory action against S. aureus, with an inhibition zone diameter (IZD) of 21.0 ± 0.00 mm and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.125 mg/mL. Additionally, only E. resinifera honey displayed the ability to inhibit E. coli growth, with an inhibition zone diameter of 09.30 ± 0.03 mm and a MIC of 0.0433 mg/mL.

Keywords: Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg: Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Hook.f. and Coss.) Vindt; antibacterial effect; antiinflammatory potential; antioxidant effect; functional food products; phenolic compounds.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea (2021R1C1C1013875, 2021R1A6A1A03038785, 2021R1F1A1055694).