Assessment of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholinesterase and cytotoxic activities of Henna ( Lawsonia inermis ) flowers (original) (raw)

Lawsonia inermis flowers were evaluated for chemical and biological properties for the first time. Extracts were prepared successively by hexane, chloroform and methanol. Phenolics (7.8-239.0g gallic acid equivalent/kg of dry mass), tannins (12.5-148.5mg cathechin equivalent/kg of dry mass) and flavonoids (36.2-43.75mg quercetin equivalent/kg of dry mass) were quantified. Methanol extract has a high antioxidant activity (IC 50 =8.5mg/L by DPPH assay and IC 50 =5mg/L by ABTS assay) and a good anti-inflammatory activity against 5-Lipoxygenase (IC 50 =49.33mg/L) compared to references. However, extracts exhibited a poor anti-Alzheimer and antidiabetic activities. Chloroform extract exhibited a higher anticancer activity (IC 50 =20mg/L). We observed high correlations between phenolics and flavonoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities (0.75<R2<0.97). Finally, a very good correlation between anti-inflammatory activity and antioxidant activity with R2=0.99. It may be interpreted that the greatest anti-inflammatory activity was excreted by the best antioxidants extracts, which contain the high amounts of total phenolics.