14.

Phytoconstituents and in vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant Capacities of Cotula Cinerea (Morocco) Methanol Extracts

Farid Khallouki, Khalid Sellam, Rabia Koyun, Irvila Ricarte, Chakib Alem, Lhoussaine Elrhaffari and Robert W. Owen

Biochemistry of Natural Products Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences & Techniques, 52000 Errachidia, Morocco

Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences & Techniques, 52000 Errachidia, Morocco

Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 581, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract: T he purpose of this study was to determine the phytochemical content of Cotula cinerea to establish principal components which may consolidate its use as a medicinal plant in the southeast of Morocco. The amount of total phenolic compounds as determined by analytical HPLC in methanol extracts was 79.23 ± 2.5 mg/g dry matter. The major phenolic compounds identified by HPLC-ESI-MS were neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and luteolin-4´-O-glucoside. All compounds displayed very strong antioxidant capacities in the DPPH, FRAP and ORAC assays . The data indicates that methanol extracts of C. cinerea via their antioxidant capacities, may be effective disease prevention potions in traditional African medicine which is probably related to the significant content of echinoids and flavonoids.

Keywords: Cotula cinerea ; chlorogenic acids; flavonoids; antioxidant capacity. © 2015 ACG Publications. All rights reserved.