Aljerf Loai, Maad Abdullah H, Rasool Shahid, Alajlani Muaaz
Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Sham Private University, 5910011, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic.
Key Laboratory of Organic Industries, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Aug 22;25(1):1116. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-07084-7.
Aitchisonia rosea (A. rosea), traditionally used for oxidative stress-related conditions, lacks comprehensive scientific validation of its antioxidant mechanisms and cellular protective effects. This study aimed to meticulously investigate the phytochemical composition, in vitro antioxidant capacity, and protective efficacy of A. rosea extracts and essential oil against oxidative damage in biomolecular and cellular models.
Analysis of the essential oil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified key bioactive components, including sesquiterpenes (e.g., germacrene, beta-caryophyllene) and oxygenated monoterpenes (e.g., carvacrol, linalool). Various solvent extracts, particularly methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions, along with the essential oil, demonstrated potent antioxidant activities across multiple assays including radical scavenging (DPPH), reducing power (FRAP), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), indicating significant free radical neutralisation capabilities. Crucially, these samples provided substantial protection against hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced genotoxicity, evidenced by reduced DNA damage in comet assays and enhanced preservation of plasmid DNA integrity in gel-based assays. Furthermore, the extracts and essential oil significantly inhibited oxidative haemolysis in red blood cells (RBCs), demonstrating effective membrane stabilisation. Throughout all biological assessments, low cytotoxicity profiles were observed, as demonstrated by the haemolytic assay, affirming the safety of the tested materials.
The findings substantiate the remarkable antioxidant and cytoprotective potential of A. rosea, primarily attributed to its rich array of polyphenolic, flavonoid, and terpenoid compounds. The demonstrated ability to safeguard both DNA and erythrocyte membranes from oxidative insults establishes A. rosea as a scientifically validated candidate for further pharmaceutical and industrial development, particularly for applications targeting oxidative stress-mediated diseases.
玫瑰艾氏草（Aitchisonia rosea）传统上用于治疗与氧化应激相关的病症，但其抗氧化机制和细胞保护作用缺乏全面的科学验证。本研究旨在精心研究玫瑰艾氏草提取物和精油的植物化学成分、体外抗氧化能力以及在生物分子和细胞模型中对氧化损伤的保护功效。
通过气相色谱 - 质谱联用（GC - MS）对精油进行分析，确定了关键生物活性成分，包括倍半萜（如杜松烯、β - 石竹烯）和氧化单萜（如香芹酚、芳樟醇）。各种溶剂提取物，特别是甲醇、乙酸乙酯和正丁醇馏分，以及精油，在包括自由基清除（DPPH）、还原能力（FRAP）和Trolox等效抗氧化能力（TEAC）在内的多种测定中均表现出强大的抗氧化活性，表明具有显著的自由基中和能力。至关重要的是，这些样品对过氧化氢（HO）诱导的遗传毒性提供了实质性保护，彗星试验中DNA损伤减少以及基于凝胶的试验中质粒DNA完整性的增强保存证明了这一点。此外，提取物和精油显著抑制红细胞（RBC）中的氧化溶血，表明具有有效的膜稳定作用。在所有生物学评估中，溶血试验表明观察到低细胞毒性，证实了测试材料的安全性。
研究结果证实了玫瑰艾氏草具有显著的抗氧化和细胞保护潜力，这主要归因于其丰富的多酚、黄酮和萜类化合物。已证明其能够保护DNA和红细胞膜免受氧化损伤，这使得玫瑰艾氏草成为进一步药物和工业开发的科学验证候选物，特别是针对氧化应激介导疾病的应用。
