Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF VERBASCUM SINAITICUM GROWN IN JORDAN: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO VALIDATIONS

NOUR ABOALHAIJA 1, HAYA AMEEREH 1, ALAA HAMMAD 1, SUHAIR SUNOQROT 1, HEBA SYAJ 1, ISMAIL ABAZA 2, FATMA AFIFI 2,3*

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11931-166, Jordan

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The study evaluates the phytochemical profile and anti-inflammatory potential of Verbascum sinaiticum from the flora of Jordan, for which essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation. The volatile profile was determined using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and the chemical composition was analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil was found to be rich in sesquiterpenes, while the volatile components of the fresh plant material were predominantly non-terpenoid compounds. Five different extracts were prepared from the leaves and flowering buds. The ethyl acetate extract, identified as the most biologically active, was subjected to liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), revealing high levels of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. In vitro, the extract significantly reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Administered orally to Wistar rats (200 mg/kg), it markedly inhibited formalin-induced paw oedema (p < 0.0001), while also histologically reducing inflammation and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β. These findings support the potential of the ethyl acetate extract from V. sinaiticum as a promising anti-inflammatory agent.