Antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory properties of alkaloid-rich fractions from the aerial parts of the Algerian Anabasis articulata

The crude extract and the relative fractions and subfractions from the aerial parts of Anabasis articulata were isolated and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, in order to characterize their content of alkaloids. Six alkaloids belonging to three families, the tetrahydroisoquinolines, the phenethylamines, and the indole-alkaloids, were identified for the first time in A. articulata. All the extracts were subjected to four in vitro antioxidant assays and an in vivo anti-inflammatory test. Overall, the crude extract showed the highest antioxidant activity by FRAP and TAC assays, while DPPH and ABTS tests registered this record to the expense of its alkaloidal fraction. Moreover, the alkaloid-rich extract also exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, reaching the highest percentage of inhibition at the concentration of 150 mg/kg of body weight overtaking diclofenac (50 mg/kg BW) used as a positive control. All these results suggest that A. articulata is a promising source of alkaloids compounds, which could be helpful in the management of oxidative stress and associated damage, including the onset of inflammatory conditions and might be used for the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at fighting pathologies based on inflammation.