First Report on the Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Antihemolytic and Antiinflammatory Activities of Extracts of Two Apiaceous Species from Eastern Algeria

Background: Plants continue to be widely used in Algeria to treat many health disorders; hence, there is a need to find new natural substances of plant origin with effective biological properties. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the bioactivity of two apiaceous species, Daucus gracilis and Carum montanum, growing in Algeria in order to find new uses of local plants that can replace expensive and inaccessible medicines by local people. Methods: The methanolic extracts (MEs) were prepared in water/methanol solvent. Afterwards, an estimation of total phenolic content (TPC) was made. The MEs were tested for their antimicrobial activities by the disc diffusion test; the antioxidant activity of the MEs alone and their combinations was tested using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the reducing power tests. The antihemolytic effect was tested by the stabilization of the human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane method, and the in vitro antiinflammatory activity was evaluated by the protein denaturation method. Results: The MEs were found to be high in TP with 149.05 μg/mg in D. gracilis and 101.50 μg/mg in C. montanum. The best antimicrobial activity recorded with B. cereus (9.5mm) was lower than that of gentamicin (GM: 10μg) at 19-20 mm. The MEs exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (IC50=60.09 μg/ml for D. gracilis, 65.04 μg/ml for C. montanum) and reducing power effect, which was strongly concentration-dependent. The extract of D. gracilis exhibited important membrane stabilization, and the inhibition of denaturation was directly related to the concentration; Carum extract was found to be active with an IC50 value of 298.12μg/ml and Daucus with an IC50 value of 554.07μg/ml. Conclusion: It can be concluded that these two species can be used for food preservation and in herbal medicine after additional toxicity and molecular characterization studies.