Phytochemical Screening, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antidiabetic Activities of Different Extracts from Caralluma edulis Plant

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 27; no. 16; p. 5346
• Main Authors: Khan, Maria, Manzoor, Zahid, Rafiq, Muhammad, Munawar, Shaukat Hussain, Waqas, Muhammad Yasir, Majeed, Hamid, Ali Shah, Syed Zahid, Hussain, Riaz, Hussain, Hafiz Iftikhar, Tahir, Tehreem, Kotwica-Mojzych, Katarzyna, Mojzych, Mariusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 22-08-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Albumins; Animal models; anti-inflammatory; Anti-inflammatory agents; antidiabetic; Antidiabetics; antioxidant; Antioxidants; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Calibration; Caralluma edulis; Denaturation; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Distilled water; Drug development; Ethanol; Flavonoids; Gas chromatography; Hyperglycemia; Inflammatory diseases; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Model testing; Oxidative stress; Phenols; phytochemical screening; Plant extracts; Proteinase; rabbits; Scavenging; Solvents; United States > US; China; Pakistan
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165346

The plant Caralluma edulis is traditionally used against diabetes and inflammatory conditions in Pakistan. This study was designed to provide scientific validation of the traditional use of Caralluma edulis. Phytochemicals were extracted from the plant by different solvents (distilled water, methanol, ethanol, and acetone) using the Soxhlet’s extraction method. Bioactive compounds were detected by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The in vitro anti-inflammatory activities (albumin denaturation, membrane stabilization, and proteinase inhibition) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP reducing activity) of different extracts from Caralluma edulis were assessed. The antidiabetic potential of Caralluma edulis plant extracts was determined in acute and subacute diabetic rabbit models. Oxidative stress and enzymatic antioxidant status were also estimated in MDA, CAT, and SOD levels. Results showed that the methanol extract yielded the highest contents of phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and antioxidant potential of the methanol extract were the highest among the tested solvents. The tested extracts did not show any remarkable antidiabetic activity in the acute diabetic model. However, all tested extracts demonstrated antidiabetic potential in the subacute diabetic model. No adverse effect was observed at the tested dose (200 mg/kg) of Caralluma edulis extracts in experimental animals. It is concluded that methanol is the key solvent for extracting bioactive compounds from Caralluma edulis. The plant can be used against inflammatory disorders and may prove a potential candidate for drug development. Long-term use of Caralluma edulis at the tested dose (200 mg/kg) showed antidiabetic properties in the animal model.