Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of BioActives Health and Environment, Meknes, Morocco.
Biomedical Research Institute, UHasselt, Cardio & Organ Systems (COST), Agoralaan, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
J Appl Biomed. 2024 Sep;22(3):155-163. doi: 10.32725/jab.2024.017. Epub 2024 Sep 5.
This study aimed to investigate the phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and toxicity of aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. leaves and their potential vasorelaxant effects.
Aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. were prepared by three extraction methods: decoction, infusion, and maceration. The total phenolic contents of the extracts and their antioxidant properties were investigated. The toxicity was evaluated by Artemia salina lethality bioassay. The decoction extract was analyzed by HPLC for its chemical profile and was also used to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect on thoracic aortic rings isolated from healthy Sprague Dawley rats. Pre-contraction was induced by phenylephrine, followed by cumulative doses of the extract (0.001 up to 250 µg/ml).
Aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. showed noticeable radical scavenging and chelating activities. However, the decoction extract exhibited the most powerful antioxidant capacity. No toxicity was recorded for the extracts obtained by decoction and infusion. Caffeic acid, quercetin, and rosmarinic acid were the main identified compounds. Notably, the aqueous extract obtained by decoction induced significant relaxation in endothelium-intact aortic rings at lower concentrations, and at higher concentrations in denuded aortic rings.
This study reveals that Calamintha nepeta L. extracted with a decoction method possesses potent antioxidant capacity and has an endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effect.
本研究旨在探究荆芥叶水提物的酚类成分、抗氧化能力和毒性，以及其潜在的血管舒张作用。
采用煎煮法、浸提法和浸渍法三种方法制备荆芥叶水提物，测定提取物的总酚含量和抗氧化性能。采用卤虫致死生物测定法评估毒性。采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）分析煎煮提取物的化学成分，并评估其对健康 Sprague Dawley 大鼠胸主动脉环的血管舒张作用。预先用苯肾上腺素收缩血管，然后给予提取物（0.001 至 250μg/ml）进行累积剂量给药。
荆芥叶水提物具有明显的自由基清除和螯合活性。然而，煎煮提取物表现出最强的抗氧化能力。煎煮和浸提得到的提取物均无毒性。鉴定出的主要化合物有咖啡酸、槲皮素和迷迭香酸。值得注意的是，煎煮得到的水提物在较低浓度下可引起完整内皮的主动脉环显著舒张，在较高浓度下可引起去内皮的主动脉环舒张。
本研究表明，荆芥用煎煮法提取具有较强的抗氧化能力，且具有内皮依赖性血管舒张作用。
