Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects of the Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia L. fruit extracts

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

10.22124/cjes.2024.8006

Abstract

Elaeagnus angustifolia is a well-known medicinal plant in Iran with high pharmacological effects on human health. The present study was done to assess the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects of E. angustifolia L. fruit ethanolic and methanolic extracts. E. angustifolia was collected and identified. Extracts were prepared using methanol and ethanol solvents. Antioxidant effects were assessed using the DPPH assay. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were also examined. Disk diffusion, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, and Minimum Bacterial concentration methods were used to assess extract antimicrobial effects. MTT assay was used to detect the anticancer effects. The concentrations at which the E. angustifolia methanolic and ethanolic extracts scavenged 50% of free radicals (IC50) were 597.24 ± 10.09 and 605.33 ± 10.91 µg mL-1, respectively. The total E. angustifolia ethanolic and methanolic extracts flavonoid contents were 15.25 ± 1.87 and 17.20 ± 1.30 mg QE/g, respectively. E. angustifolia ethanolic and methanolic extract's phenolic contents were 57.33 ± 2.14 and 60.13 ± 1.88 mg GAE g-1, respectively. The methanolic extract exhibited higher antimicrobial effects, especially against S. aureus with low MIC and MBC levels. An elevation in the E. angustifolia extract concentration caused a significant decrease in cell viability. The first step of decrease in the cell viability in treatment with the E. angustifolia ethanolic and methanolic extracts was caused by the concentrations of 10 and 2.5 µg mL-1, respectively. IC50 levels of E. angustifolia ethanolic and methanolic extracts were 15.97 and 8.23 µg mL-1, respectively. Anticancer effects against the U87 cell line were performed within 24 h. These findings provided a better understanding of the widespread application of E. angustifolia as potential antioxidants, antibacterial and anticancer sources, and safe natural medicines.
 

Keywords


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