Etude Phytochimique, Potentiel Antioxydant et Activité antifongique de Thymelaea hirsuta (Cas des dermatophytes)

Abstract

Algeria, with its geographical position, offers an exceptional biodiversity occupied by important medicinal plants. Thymelaea hirsuta, endemic species, is a medicinal plant used in Algerian traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. This work focused on the phytochemical study of aqueous extracts from flowers, leaves and twigs, and the evaluations, in vitro, of their antifungal activities by the microdilution method in liquid culture medium, against two dermatophytic fungi : Microsporum audouinii and Trichophyton rubrum, and their antioxidant activities, using the methods of oxidizing the radical 2,2-diphény1-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), iron antioxidant power (FRAP) test and ABTS (2, 2 ' - azynobis- [3-ethylbenzoline-6- sulfonic acid]) test. The results show that the different phytochemicals organs, especially flowers, are a ideal source of biologically active molecules such as polyphenols, lipids, tannins, flavonoids and coumarins. Except for leaves, revealed fungicidal effect was mostly exhibited by flowers extract against M. audouinii and T. rubrum from 125 and 250μg/ml, respectively. Antioxidant evaluation power showed that the different extracts possess a very important antioxidant power, particularly that exhibited by flowers (at 8μg/ml, %IDPPH= 90.83±0.32 – %IABTS=68.63±0.53 – AFRAP=0.810±0.01). This study confirms scientifically the traditional use of this plant, and reveals its interest in the pharmaceutical industry.