Abstract

Objective: To authenticate Phoenix roebelenii O’Brien, and investigate its leaves and fruits phytoconstituents, antioxidant, hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective activities. Methods: DNA profiling was carried out by random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR). Total phenolic contents were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu method. Chromatographic and spectral techniques were used for the phytochemical investigation. Petroleum ether extracts were investigated using GC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assayed by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method. Hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective assessments were achieved by neutral red assay. Results: Total phenolic contents of leaves and fruits were estimated as being 64.3 and 7.88 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg, respectively. Ten compounds were isolated for the first time from the aqueous methanol extract of leaves: apigenin 6, 8-di-C-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-Oglucopyranoside, luteolin 3'-O-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, baicalein and p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic and caffeic acids. Major lipophilic constituents of petroleum ether leaves extracts are ricinoleic acid (51.12%) and phytol (10.64%), while those of fruits are linolelaidic acid (33.61%) and n-octadecanol (9.04%). Aqueous methanol and petroleum ether extracts of leaves and fruits exhibited antioxidant activity at IC50 (60.25 and 51.70 μg/mL) and (6.3 and 21.0 μg/mL), respectively. The extracts hepatotoxicity is at IC50 > 1 000 μg/ml. Leaves and fruits petroleum ether extracts exhibited prominent heptoprotective activity > 12.5 and 15 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The palm may be a new potential source as a natural hepatoprotective to be applied in pharmaceutical industries.

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