Biological Activities of Asteraceae (Achillea millefolium and Calendula officinalis) and Lamiaceae (Melissa officinalis and Origanum majorana) Plant Extracts

Abstract

Asteraceae (Achillea millefolium and Calendula officinalis) and Lamiaceae (Melissa officinalis and Origanum majorana) extracts were obtained by applying two sequential extraction processes: supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide, followed by ultrasonic assisted extraction using green solvents (ethanol and ethanol:water 50:50). The extracts were analyzed in terms of the total content of phenolic compounds and the content of flavonoids; the volatile oil composition of supercritical extracts was analyzed by gas chromatography and the antioxidant capacity and cell toxicity was determined. Lamiaceae plant extracts presented higher content of phenolics (and flavonoids) than Asteraceae extracts. Regardless of the species studied, the supercritical extracts presented the lowest antioxidant activity and the ethanol:water extracts offered the largest, following the order Origanum majorana > Melissa officinalis ≈ Achillea millefolium > Calendula officinalis. However, concerning the effect on cell toxicity, Asteraceae (especially Achillea millefolium) supercritical extracts were significantly more efficient despite being the less active as an antioxidant agent. These results indicate that the effect on cell viability is not related to the antioxidant activity of the extracts.

Potential role of medicinal plants for anti-atherosclerosis activity

“…majorana leaves have phenolic compounds like carvacrol, thymol methyl ether that help in the (García-Risco et al, 2017). Ursolic acid and carnosic acids are the other constituents of this plant.…”

Evaluación de extractos vegetales para manejo de quemaduras cáusticas: irritación/corrosión dérmica aguda. Bogotá/2018

“…Tanto los aceites esenciales de esta planta, los cuales se sabe que son ricos en productos como el α -Thujene, el α -pineno y el 1,8 cineol, también llamado eucaliptol; todos compuestos de tipo monoterpenos carac-terizados por ser volátiles; como los extractos ricos en otro tipo de compuestos como sesquiterpenos, triterpenos, flavonoides, cumarinas, quinonas, carotenoides, amino ácidos y compuestos fenólicos, así como el phartenolide, una lactona sesquiterpénica, hallada principalmente en las hojas de las asteráceas con actividad antiinflamatoria y antioxidante, aún mayor al ácido ascórbi-co (45)(46), han evidenciado actividades antioxidantes, antiinflamatorias, antimicrobianas en modelos in vitro, in vivo e incluso a nivel clínico (47)(48)(49)(50), permitiéndole ser uno de los productos empleados en salud para el manejo de las enfermedades descritas, entre otras.…”

The optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of total flavonoids from pot marigold (Calendulae officinalis L.) flowers

“…The ultrasound-assisted extraction as an advanced extraction technique provides the higher extraction yield of about 34% compared to the conventional extraction technique [32]. García-Risco et al [11] confirmed that the extract obtained by using 50% (v/v) ethanol and the ultrasound-assisted extraction has a higher phenolic content than the extract prepared by using pure ethanol.…”

“…Therapeutic properties of the flower are attributed to various types of bioactive compounds, such as: flavonoids, tannins, saponosides, carotenoids, triterpene alcohols, polysaccharides, amino acids, and essential oils [2,[4][5][6]. The extract of pot marigold flower has the antioxidant [7][8][9][10][11][12], antimicrobial [13][14][15], anti-inflammatory [16,17], anticancer [18,19], spasmolytic [20], hepatoprotective, and rheumatic protective activities [21]. Due to the complex chemical content and broad spectrum of pharmacological activity, this plant material has an application in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.…”

“…Recently, the main effort in many studies was focused in the direction of the development of the advanced extraction techniques that are more superior to other available conventional methods. A supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technique is one of them used for the preparation of the pot marigold extract [11,30] and for obtaining the essential oil [31]. The ultrasound-assisted extraction as an advanced extraction technique provides the higher extraction yield of about 34% compared to the conventional extraction technique [32].…”