Planta Med 2012; 78 - P_30
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307538

A New Guaianolide with Significant Antioxidant Activity Isolated from Achillea fragrantissima and In Vivo Antidiabetic Evaluation of Different A. fragrantissima Extracts

EE Eltamany 1, MM Radwan 2, 3, S Ross 3, 4, H Hassanean 1, SI Khalifa 1, 5, GM Badr 1, S Ahmed 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
  • 3National Center for Natural Products Research; and
  • 4Department of Pharmacognosy School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
  • 5College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha 02713, Qatar

Phytochemical investigation of Achillea fragrantissima has led to the isolation of a new sesquiterpene lactone of guaianolide nucleus: 1α, 4 α endoperoxy pseudoguaia-7(11), 10 (14) diene 6α, 12-olide (1). In addition, diacyl glycerol derivative (2), two flavones (3,4) and β-sitosterol glycoside were isolated and identified. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined based on different spectroscopic data including UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their antimalarial, antileishmanial, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Investigation of antidiabetic activity of different Achillea fragrantissima extracts on streptozocin induced diabetic rats revealed that both chloroform extract and polysaccharide fraction of the aqueous extract have the highest activity with percent decrease in blood glucose 39.7±6.3 and 39.6±5.0 respectively, followed by hexane extract, ethanol extract and water extracts. Achillea fragrantissima aqueous infusion was more active than the decoction and these results confirms the use of the plant among the Egyptian Bedouins as an infusion rather than a decoction for management of diabetes.

Acknowledgements: we are thankful to Dr. Baharthi Avula for HRESMS and to Drs Melissa Jacob, and Shabana Khan and Babu Tekwani for antimicrobial, antileishmanial activity. EEE is thankful to the Egyptian government for funding.