In vitro anti-urease, antioxidant, anticholinesterase, cytotoxic and in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of Satureja cuneifolia Ten.

Abstract

Satureja cuneifolia Ten. (wild savoury) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is used to produce essential oil and aromatic water. This plant is also used as a condiment and herbal tea due to its stimulating, tonic and carminative effects. The in vitro antioxidant, anti-urease, anticholinesterase and cytotoxic activities of the different extracts from the plant’s aerial parts were examined. Besides, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the fraction and direct methanol extracts were determined comparatively. In the current study, fraction methanol extract exhibited the strongest ABTS (52.34 mM trolox/mg extract) radical scavenging and ferric reduction (17.22 mM Fe2+/mg extract) activity. It was also found that the fraction methanol extract had stronger anti-urease (12.52%) and anticholinesterase (69.02%) activity than other extracts. The XTT results showed that fraction methanol extract had the most cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cell lines (39.92%). According to the results of in vivo anti-inflammatory activity, it was found that both fraction and direct methanol extracts exhibited close and significant anti-inflammatory activity. The fact that methanol extracts have significant biological activity suggests that these may be used as a natural source in the future.