Chemical Characterization of Polyphenols of Egyptian Achillea fragrantissima with In Vitro Antioxidant Study

Abstract

Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch. Bip. is one of the most popular and important medicinal plants extensively used in Egyptian folk medicine for healing different sufferings and diseases. The antioxidant properties of hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the aerial parts of A. fragrantissima were in vitro studied. The total phenolic content was 56.6 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight, and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) was 1.127 mmol Trolox equivalents/mg sample. The HPLC-MS identification of polyphenols revealed mainly the presence of flavones, in addition to benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and flavonols. The hydroalcoholic extract protected human astrocytoma U373-MG cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced formation of reactive oxygen species and loss of cell viability. These findings suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract from A. fragrantissima is a natural source of antioxidant compounds that may be useful for counteracting the oxidative stress damage in central nervous system cells.