Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity and Antioxidant Property of Various Extracts from the Medicinal Plant Paronychia argentea L.

Aim: Paronychia argentea L. is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases in Algeria especially kidney stones. This study focused on the antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of these plant extracts.

Methods: The different extracts were prepared using solvents of increasing polarity, and theirs total polyphenols and flavonoids contents were determined using spectrophotomet­ric methods. The antioxidant activities of Paronychia argentea extracts (PAE) were assessed by their inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase (XO) and their scavenger ability on superoxide radical (O2•-) generated by this enzyme.

Results: The phytochemical investigation of the plant extracts showed that the ethyl acetate extract (EaE) has the highest concentration of total polyphenols and flavonoids, followed by chloroform (ChE) and crud (CE) extracts. Results of the antioxidant activity revealed that all PAE were effective in both XO inhibiting and superoxide radical scavenging, with the following order for the two assays: ChE > EaE > CE.

Conclusion: This study provided evidence that PAE had interesting antioxidant potential which was confirmed using two enzymatic methods. Therefore, this plant could be used to treat gout and lot of diseases, where inhibition of XO and scavenging of superoxide radical are necessary.