An ecological approach to discover new bioactive extracts and products: the case of extremophile plants

J Pharm Pharmacol. 2017 Apr 26. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12728. [Epub ahead of print]

Sahli R^1,2, Rivière C¹, Neut C³, Bero J⁴, Sahuc ME⁵, Smaoui A², Beaufay C⁴, Roumy V¹, Hennebelle T¹, Rouillé Y⁵, Quetin-Leclercq J⁴, Séron K⁵, Ksouri R², Sahpaz S¹.

Author information

1

Univ. Lille, INRA, ISA, Univ. Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, EA 7394 - ICV, Institut Charles Viollette, University of Lille, Lille, France.

2

The Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Biotechnology Centre of Borj-Cédria (CBBC), Hammam-lif, Tunisia.

3

INSERM U995, UFR Pharmacie, UDSL, Lille, France.

4

Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

5

CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204 - CIIL, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, Lille, France.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Eight extremophile plants from Tunisia were screened to find natural products with benefits in human health.

METHODS:

These plants were collected in different areas in Tunisia. Their methanolic extracts were evaluated for their total phenolic content and for their antiradical (DPPH), antimicrobial (on 35 bacteria and one yeast), antiviral (hepatitis C virus, HCV) and cytotoxic activity (against WI38 and J774 cell lines). The most active species were subjected to a bioguided fractionation.

KEY FINDINGS:

The screening revealed promising activity for four plants, but two species have both antiradical and antimicrobial activity: Juncus maritimus and Limonium virgatum. The rhizomes extract of J. maritimus showed the highest activity against HCV, a selective antibacterial activity against Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and a moderate antiradical activity which is due to luteolin isolated in one step by centrifugal partition chromatography. The stems' and leaves' extracts of L. virgatum were rich in polyphenols responsible for the antiradical activity. Also, Limonium extracts showed an antibacterial activity with a broad spectrum.

CONCLUSIONS:

Extremophile plants have proven to be a promising source for bioactive metabolites. They have a powerful antioxidant system highly influenced by biotic and abiotic factors and the ability to produce secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity.

© 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

KEYWORDS:

antibacterial activity; antiradical activity; antiviral activity; cytotoxic activity; extremophile plants