FT-IR analysis of A. graecorum extract
The FT-IR analysis of the aqueous methanol extract from the stems and leaves of
A.
graecorum revealed the presence of 13 compounds. It exhibited many unique peaks that were explicitly attributed to the presence of particular functional groups or phytochemical substances.
i.
e., a band which occurred at 3400.26 cm-1 might be attributed to the presence of primary amine (N-H); a band which occurred at 2950.66 cm
-1 could be attributed to the presence of alkane (C-H); a band which occurred at 2842.24 cm
-1 could be attributed to the presence of amine salt (N-H); a band which occurred at 2522.56 cm
-1 could be attributed to the presence of carboxylic acid (O-H);
etc. (Table 1) (
Jacox, 2003;
Powell et al., 1966).
GC-MS Analysis of A. graecorum extract
The GC-MS analysis of the aqueous methanol extract from
A.
graecorum stems and leaves revealed approximately 9 principal biologically active compounds (Table 2). 3-Methyl butyl acetate (28.39%), d-glycero-d-ido-heptose (0.24%), Mome inositol (46.67%), Decanoic acid (0.66%), 11,14,17-Eicosatrienoic acid (0.78%), 3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (16.1%), (2R,3R)-2,3-Epoxyoctadec-4-yn-1ol (1.56%), Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate (2.88%) and 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid (2.71 %) were identified as the phytocompounds present in significant quantities, while compounds were detected in lesser amounts (Table 2).
These results are similar to previous studies with differences in the concentration of some compounds, which may be due to differences in the environment in which plants grow. investigations concerning
A.
maurorum reveal the presence of sterols, fatty acids, alkaloids and flavonoids (
Marashdah and Farraj, 2010;
Samejo et al., 2012). A.
graecorum ethanolic extract was shown to contain sixteen phenolic compounds
(Shaker et al., 2022). It was observed that
Alhagi is a prolific source of physiologically active phytochemical substances, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, polysaccharides and alkaloids (
Gulzar Muhammad et al., 2015). It was observed that the aqueous extract of
A.
maurorum had significant levels of caffeic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid and rutin.
A.
graecorum serves as a substantial source of potent antioxidant flavonoid glycosides and several alkaloids (
Ahmed, 2019). The aerial components of
A.
graecorum comprise tamarixetin 3-O-dirhamnoside and isorhamnetin 3-O-glucosyl neohesperidoside (
El-Sayed et al., 1993).
Antioxidant activity in vitro
The radical scavenging activity of the aqueous methanol extract from the stems and leaves of
A.
graecorum was assessed using the ABTS scavenging assay. The extract exhibited radical scavenging action, showing inhibition rates between 88% and 10% at concentrations from 500 to 15.625 μg/mL, with an IC50 value of 167.52 μg/mL. Statistically significant changes were noted in the ABTS scavenging assay across the different concentrations of the
A.
graecorum extract employed (Table 3). This investigation found that the suppression of free radicals by the extract increased at the maximum tested levels, with the extract exhibiting significant ABTS free radical scavenging activity and inhibition. These data indicate that
A.
graecorum functions as a natural antioxidant source.
These results are similar to previous studies with the difference in the inhibition rate, which may be due to the difference in the concentration of some active chemical compounds. A study evaluated the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract of
A.
maurorum, demonstrating its antioxidant properties. Both doses (250 and 500 μg) demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, with inhibition rates of 82.88% and 86.70%, respectively (
Buege and Aust, 1978). A separate study demonstrated that the extract (500 μg) significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels from 1.03±0.05 to 0.49±0.07, suggesting considerable antioxidant potential (
Neamah, 2012). A study indicated that leaf extracts (20 μg/mL) exhibit superior free radical scavenging activity (83.5%) compared to flower extracts (72.3%), as assessed by ABTS free radical scavenging. In contrast, the antioxidant potential of quercetin standard was lower (63.41%) than that of both leaves and flowers
(Laghari et al., 2012).
In vitro antiparasitic activity of A. graecorum against Eimeria magna
The
in vitro assessment of the antiparasitic efficacy of aqueous methanol extracts from the stems and leaves of
A.
graecorum showed that concentrations of 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/mL resulted in inhibition rates of 35%, 45%, 73%, 84% and 91%, respectively, during a 72-hour period. The results Antiparasitic efficacy demonstrated variability in sporulation and inhibition at various doses during an incubation time of up to 72 hours, with oocyst test results recorded every 12 hours. The results indicated the greatest inhibition of oocysts at concentrations of 50 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL and the reference drug, in contrast to lower concentrations where the inhibition rate diminished. Additionally, the inhibition increased with prolonged exposure time (Table 4 to 9).
To our knowledge, no prior studies have elucidated the potential role of aqueous methanol extracts from the stems and leaves of
A.
graecorum on parasites. Consequently, this study was essential in elucidating this role. Prior research has demonstrated the antifungal efficacy of
A.
maurorum extract against
Alternaria alternata, Candida albicans and Cladosporium cladosporioides (
Al-Snai et al., 2019). The bioactive pharmaceuticals of
Alhagi spp. have been extensively reviewed, A review has been conducted on various pharmacological and biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, cardiovascular, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiurolithic, depigmenting, antidiarrheal and additional activities (
Gulzar Muhammad et al., 2015).
