Phytochemical and pharmacological study of two Anacyclus species endemic of Morocco

Morocco is a Mediterranean country distinguished by a rich plant biodiversity extensively employed by the local population for medicinal purposes, although without clear pharmacological basis [1]. Among Moroccan plants, Anacyclus species (Fam. Asteraceae) are considered inexpensive and valuable sources of drugs to treat several ailments, among which digestive disorders, owing to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial properties likely ascribed to the presence of polyphenolic compounds [2]. Our study especially focused on A. radiatus (AR) and A. maroccanus (AM), two ecotypes collected in Demnate road and Essaouira regions respectively, to valorize their biodiversity and to highlight a possible pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical interest. To this end, the aerial parts of both ecotypes were subjected to extraction and fractionation, thus obtaining a methanolic and an ethyl acetate extracts for each one. The phenolic composition of the extracts was characterized by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methodologies, and a screening of in vitro bioactivities, including antioxidant, antiglycative and chelating, as well as the ability to inhibit enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion, was carried out [3]. At last, the cytoprotective properties of the most promising extracts towards the oxidative damage induced by the tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH, 500 μM) and hyperglycemia (6 mg/ml glucose) was evaluated in human cell lines [4]. To this end, the effect of the treatments on the cell viability and on the intracellular ROS levels were determined by the MTT and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assays, respectively [5]. The highest levels of polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids were found in the methanolic extracts of AR and AM ecotypes, with rutin, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin as the major identified compounds at HPLC analysis. However, the ethyl acetate extracts showed the most promising antioxidant, antiglycative and hypoglycemic activities, which were also confirmed by the cytoprotection in cell models. Indeed, both extracts were found able to counteract the cytotoxicity induced by tBOOH and to decrease the intracellular ROS levels. Slight but significant cytoprotective effects, in terms of cell viability and ROS levels, were also highlighted against the damage induced by hyperglycemia. Altogether, our findings suggest an interest in the Anacyclus species as sources of bioactive compounds and/or phytocomplexes to likely harness for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical purposes, with possible benefits for the Moroccan economy. Further mechanistic studies and evaluations in different experimental models are required. References [1] Kachmar et al., Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021,2021,6002949. [2] Usmani et al., J Appl Pharm Sci. 2016,6,144-150. [3] Sissi et al., Molecules 2022,27,692. [4] Di Sotto et al., Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018,2018,5919237. [5] Di Giacomo et al., Pharmaceuticals 15,987, 2022.