Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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PRELIMINARY RESEARCH CONCERNING THE OBTAINING OF HERBAL EXTRACTS WITH POTENTIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY NOTE I. OBTAINING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A SELECTIVE ORIGANUM VULGARE L. DRY EXTRACT

CERASELA ELENA GÎRD1, LIGIA ELENA DUŢU1, TEODORA COSTEA1*, IOANA NENCU1, MARIA LIDIA POPESCU1, OLARU OCTAVIAN TUDOREL2

1."Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Phytotherapy Department, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
2."Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Botany and Cellular Biology Department, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956, Bucharest, Romania

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The aim of our research was obtaining, characterization and evaluation of the antioxidant activity, cytotoxic properties of a selective dry extract from indigenous Origanum vulgare L. (oregano), which might be used for the formulation of a phytomedicine with neuroprotective activity. Oregano phytochemical analysis was based on the HPLC determination of rosmarinic acid (identification, quantification) and spectrophotometric assays of flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids and total phenols. The antioxidant capacity was determined using DPPH and ferric reducing power activity methods. The dry selective extract (obtained with 50% ethanol) contains: 4.21 g flavones (expressed as rutin)/100 g dry extract, 52.67 g phenolcarboxylic acids (expressed as chlorogenic acid)/100 g dry extract, 27.30 g polyphenols (expressed as tannic acid)/100 g dry extract and 5.76 g rosmarinic acid/100 g dry extract. It has a good antioxidant activity (EC50 = 2.62 µg/mL - DPPH method and EC50 = 104.5 µg/mL - reducing power). Cytotoxic properties against Daphnia magnia invertebrate were observed only at high concentrations, above 500 µg/mL. Our results offer encouraging premises for the formulation of a phytomedicine with potential neuroprotective activity.