Immature Leaves of Acridocarpus orientalis A. Juss. Exhibit High Antioxidant and Anti-LOX Properties

Background: Antioxidant and Anti-LOX properties of plant species are important in the selection of plants for their medicinal and phytochemical assessment. This study aims at comparing antioxidant and anti-LOX properties of ethanolic extracts from different plant parts (leaf and stem) at different phenological stages (mature and immature) of the rare Acridocarpus orientalis. Methods: Fresh A. orientalis samples were collected from around Al-Ain city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Aerial parts of A. orientalis (10 g) were extracted with 70% (v/v) aqueous ethanol (200 mL). DPPH scavenging activity, ABTS radical cation decolorization assay, Ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, and β-carotene bleaching assay were used for antioxidant activity assessment. LOX inhibitory assay was also used to investigate anti-inflammatory potentials of A. orientalis. Results: The DPPH scavenging activities, ABTS decolorization, FRAP and β-Carotene bleaching potentials of immature leaves were higher than extracts from other parts of the plant under investigation. This study also reported 91% improvement in the ABTS absorption when comparing C0 (control) to C10 (10 µg extract concentration), in immature leaf extracts. Considerable differences in the FRAP potentials of leaves vs stems was revealed in this investigation. β-Carotene bleaching potentials in the leaves were also comparatively higher than in the stems. Additionally, immature leaves had more anti-LOX potential than other parts of the plant at different phenological stages. Conclusion: A. orientalis presents considerable antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activities and therefore may be a good candidate for hepato-protective effects. The present investigation is the first component of an in-vivo assessment of the hepato-protective potentials of A. orientalis in the experimental animals.