Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Science, Al Al-Bayt University, P.O. Box 130040, Mafraq, 25113, Jordan.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 Dec 5;263:113114. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113114. Epub 2020 Jul 28.
Gundelia tournefortii is a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family which is widely consumed as edible plant in the Eastern Mediterranean. In folkloric medicine, it is used for the treatment of various diseases and conditions, including pain, liver diseases, kidney stones and inflammations.
Recently, many commoners use this plant as adjuvant therapy for treating symptoms associated with liver diseases and thalassemia. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate, biochemically, the iron chelating activity of G. tournefortii methanolic extract in iron overloaded rats.
Fifty Wister male rats were divided into five groups: one group was a healthy control, while iron overload was induced in the other four groups by 100 mg/kg iron-dextran. Of these, one group was left untreated as a control, while the other three groups were treated with 50 mg/kg deferoxamine, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of G. tournefortii methanolic extract, respectively. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the methanolic extract were estimated. The biochemical assessment was performed by measuring blood levels of iron, ferritin, liver biomarkers (ALT, ALP and AST), cardiac biomarkers (CPK and LDH) and lipid profile.
Not only the blood levels of iron, ferritin, liver biomarkers and cardiac biomarkers were reduced significantly by G. tournefortii methanolic extract, but also the lipid profile was improved. This clearly supports the chelating activity of G. tournefortii and its hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects in iron overloaded rats.
This highlights the value of medicinal plants as alternative therapies for iron overload conditions such as thalassemia.
Gundelia tournefortii 是菊科（Compositae）家族的一员，在东地中海地区被广泛作为食用植物食用。在民间医学中，它被用于治疗各种疾病和病症，包括疼痛、肝病、肾结石和炎症。
最近，许多普通人将这种植物用作治疗与肝病和地中海贫血相关症状的辅助疗法。因此，本研究旨在评估 Gundelia tournefortii 甲醇提取物的铁螯合活性，对铁超载大鼠进行生化研究。
50 只 Wister 雄性大鼠分为五组：一组为健康对照组，其余四组通过 100mg/kg 右旋糖酐铁诱导铁超载。其中一组作为对照组不进行处理，另外三组分别用 50mg/kg 去铁胺、100mg/kg 和 200mg/kg Gundelia tournefortii 甲醇提取物进行治疗。估计甲醇提取物中的总黄酮和总酚含量。通过测量血液中铁、铁蛋白、肝生物标志物（ALT、ALP 和 AST）、心脏生物标志物（CPK 和 LDH）和血脂谱来进行生化评估。
Gundelia tournefortii 甲醇提取物不仅显著降低了血液中铁、铁蛋白、肝生物标志物和心脏生物标志物的水平，而且改善了血脂谱。这清楚地支持了 Gundelia tournefortii 的螯合活性及其在铁超载大鼠中的保肝和护心作用。
这突出了药用植物作为治疗地中海贫血等铁超载情况的替代疗法的价值。
