Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Solvent-Partitioned Fractions from Spergularia marina in LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

Phytochemical Screening, Phenolic Content, and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Foeniculum vulgare Seed Extract

Medicinal plants are promising sources of natural substances with biological functions and several drugs have been developed from traditional medicine. This study aimed to determine the chemical components of a hydromethanolic extract from Foeniculum vulgare seeds. Total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol contents were assessed, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed. To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of F. vulgare seed hydromethanolic extract, its effects on protein denaturation, protease activity, membrane stabilization, and heat-induced hemolysis in red blood cells were evaluated in vitro. F. vulgare seed extract showed significant inhibition of protein denaturation (35.68±0.4%), protease activity (58.09±0.1%), and heat-induced hemolysis in red blood cells (9.67±0.3%) at concentrations of 200, 250, and 200 μg/mL, respectively, compared to the reference drug indomethacin (P<0.001). This remarkable anti-inflammatory activity may be attributable to the abundance of flavonoids in the F. vulgare seed extract. GC-MS confirmed the presence of linalool and fatty acids (palmitic and oleic acids), which have potential anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the hydromethanolic extract of F. vulgare seeds may be a valuable anti-inflammatory candidate in the years ahead.

The Content of Certain Groups of Phenolic Compounds and the Biological Activity of Extracts of Various Halophyte Parts of Spergularia marina (L.) Griseb. and Glaux maritima L. at Different Levels of Soil Salinization

Halophyte plants are known for their resistance to harsh environmental conditions associated with excess salts in their habitats. Their resistance to salinization is due, among other things, to their high ability to detoxify free radicals, owing to the relatively high content of antioxidants. On the coast of the Baltic Sea and in the lagoons, there are several rare halophyte species included in the Red Book of the Kaliningrad Region (Russia) and the Baltic region, such as Spergularia marina (L.) Griseb. and Glaux maritima L. The aim of the research was to study the accumulation of certain groups of phenolic compounds in different parts of S. marina and G. maritima plants under conditions of weak and strong soil salinity, as well as to analyze the antioxidant, antibacterial, and fungicidal activity of extracts of the studied plant species. The present study showed an increase in total phenolic content in the roots and shoots of S. marina, and the shoots of G. maritima, in response to increased soil salinity. At the same time, the total content of flavonoids in all the studied parts of the two plant species remained unchanged. However, the content of individual flavonoids (hesperetin, epicatechin, apigenin derivative, luteolin derivative) in S. marina increased, for G. maritima there was a tendency to reduce the content of flavonoids in roots and shoots with an increase in soil salinity. There was an increase in the total content of hydroxycinnamic acids in the roots of Glaux maritima, as well as an increase in the content of protocatechuic acid in the roots and shoots of Spergularia marina. A positive relationship was established between the antioxidant activity of S. marina root extracts and the total content of phenolic compounds, as well as G. maritima shoots extracts and the total content of phenolic compounds. Extracts of S. marina showed no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, and weak fungicidal activity of stem extracts and inflorescences grown on soils, with high levels of salinities, was detected against Candida albicans. The extracts of roots and shoots from G. maritima showed weak antimicrobial and fungicidal activity.