The genus Gentiana (Gentianaceae) with approximately 400 species is distributed in the temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and America. It is represented by 12 species in Turkey [1].
Gentiana species are used in herbal medicine to treat digestive problems, fever, hypertension, muscle spasms, wounds, cancer, sinusitis, and malaria [2].
In this present study, the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Gentiana pyrenaica L. was investigated for its biological activities such as antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase (ACE), butyrylcholinesterase (BCE), monoamine oxidase MAO-A, MAO-B, cyclooxygenase COX-1, COX-2 inhibitory effects and for its total phenolic content using Folin-Ciocalteu assay.
According to the antioxidant activity results, G. pyrenaica showed weak ferric-reducing power with a EC50 value of 1.84 and ABTS radical cation decolorization activity with an inhibition of 20.27% when compared to the standards BHT (EC50 = 0.2) and Trolox (79.01%) respectively at 0.5 mg/mL concentration. Chelating ability of G. pyrenaica was 39.51% whereas EDTA showed 78.87% chelating activity at 0.2 mg/mL. Also G. pyrenaica showed weak 26.04% ACE, 14.02% BCE, strong 75.18% MAO-A and 75.90% MAO-B, 18.16% COX-1, 27.42% COX-2 inhibitory activities at 0.25 mg/mL. The total phenolic content of G. pyrenaica was 208.46 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g plant.
References
[1] Pritchard NM., 1978. Gentiana. In: Davis PH, editor. Flora of Turkey and East Aegean Islands. Vol. 6. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p 183-190.
[2] Senol FS., Tüzün CY., Toker G., Orhan IE., 2012. An in vitro perspective to cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activity of five Gentiana species and Gentianella caucasea. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 63: 802-812.
