Phytochemical Study, HPLC Chromatographic Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Ephedra alata DC. Female Cones Extracts

The aim of this work is a phytochemical study, antioxidant activity and Chromatographic Analysis by HPLC of extracts of the female cones of Ephedra alata DC. Which grows in Oued Souf region (South East of Algeria). According to the results obtained from the estimation of polyphenols and flavonoids content, the methanolic extract has the best content of polyphenols (158.34±2.71mg GAE/g Extract), and the best values of flavonoids (88.50±1.12mg QE/g Extract). The chromatographic analysis by HPLC has identified eight phenolic compounds, which are Gallic Acid, Chlorogenic acid, Vanillic Acid, Vanillin, p-Coumaric acid, Rutin, Naringenin and Quercitin. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by three tests: DPPH• free-radical scavenging, Hemolysis and Reducing power, the results of test scavenging the free-radical DPPH• show the tannins extract had the best scavenging activity capacity than the other extracts (IC50: 14.94±1.34μg/mL), But, in the hemolysis test, all the extracts were proximity except for the aqueous extract that was shown protected of the erythrocytes (50±0.5% of hemolysis percentage). Finally, in the reducing power assay, its results showed that the tannins extract has a best reducing power 27.16±0.25μg/mL in Abs₇₀₀ = 0.5 compared to other extracts.