Compounds found in Rhaponticum acaule demonstrate powerful antioxidant activity

The essential oil of Rhaponticum acaule (RaEO) is a promising source of antioxidant compounds, according to a recent study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Researchers from the University of Monastir and the National School of Engineers of Sfax in Tunisia evaluated whether RaEO can inhibit ?-glucosidase, xanthine oxidase, and pancreatic lipase using multiple in vitro assays.

• Researchers identified the physicochemical composition of RaEO using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
• The antioxidant properties of RaEO were tested using the following: 2,2’-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), reducing power, phosphomolybdenum, and DNA nicking assays, respectively.
• RaEO was subjected to enzyme kinetic studies with the Michaelis-Menten and the derived Lineweaver-Burk (LB) plots to determine possible mechanisms that explain the inhibiting properties of the essential oil.
• GC-MS results yielded 26 compounds from RaEO, with the main constituents being germacrene D (49.2 percent), methyl eugenol (8.3 percent), (E)-?-ionone (6.2 percent), ?-caryophyllene (5.7 percent), (E,E)-?-farnesene (4.2 percent), bicyclogermacrene (4.1 percent) and (Z)-?-bisabolene (3.7 percent).
• From the kinetic inhibition assays, RaEO was able to inhibit ?-glucosidase, as well as xanthine oxidase.
• The essential oil was also able to inhibit pancreatic lipase with a maximum rate of 80 percent at a dose of two milligrams of RaEO per milliliter of ethanol solution. Researchers noted that this effect was irreversible, based on in vitro tests using turkey pancreatic lipase.

The findings suggest that RaEO holds promise as a potential source of antioxidants, which can benefit human health.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Learn more about essential oils and their benefits at EssentialOils.news today.

Journal Reference:

Mosbah H, Chahdoura H, Kammoun J, Hlila MB, Louati H, Hammami S, Flamini G, Achour L, Selmi B. RHAPONTICUM ACAULE (L) DC ESSENTIAL OIL: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ENZYME INHIBITION PROPERTIES. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 5 March 2018;18(79). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2145-5