J Appl Biomed 22:155-163, 2024 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2024.017

In vitro biological activities of Calamintha nepeta L. aqueous extracts

Nadia Salhi1, *, Dorien Deluyker2, Virginie Bito2, Abdelhamid Zaid1, Lhoussaine El Rhaffari1
1 Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of BioActives Health and Environment, Meknes, Morocco
2 Biomedical Research Institute, UHasselt, Cardio & Organ Systems (COST), Agoralaan, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and toxicity of aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. leaves and their potential vasorelaxant effects.

Methods: Aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. were prepared by three extraction methods: decoction, infusion, and maceration. The total phenolic contents of the extracts and their antioxidant properties were investigated. The toxicity was evaluated by Artemia salina lethality bioassay. The decoction extract was analyzed by HPLC for its chemical profile and was also used to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect on thoracic aortic rings isolated from healthy Sprague Dawley rats. Pre-contraction was induced by phenylephrine, followed by cumulative doses of the extract (0.001 up to 250 µg/ml).

Results: Aqueous extracts of Calamintha nepeta L. showed noticeable radical scavenging and chelating activities. However, the decoction extract exhibited the most powerful antioxidant capacity. No toxicity was recorded for the extracts obtained by decoction and infusion. Caffeic acid, quercetin, and rosmarinic acid were the main identified compounds. Notably, the aqueous extract obtained by decoction induced significant relaxation in endothelium-intact aortic rings at lower concentrations, and at higher concentrations in denuded aortic rings.

Conclusion: This study reveals that Calamintha nepeta L. extracted with a decoction method possesses potent antioxidant capacity and has an endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effect.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Aqueous extracts; Calamintha nepeta L.; Polyphenols; Vasorelaxation
Grants and funding:

This work was supported by the Institutional University Cooperation program with Moulay Ismail University, which is funded by the VLIR-UOS (Contract no MA2017IUC038A104).

Conflicts of interest:

The authors declare that they have no financial interests or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Received: November 16, 2023; Revised: June 29, 2024; Accepted: August 22, 2024; Prepublished online: September 5, 2024; Published: September 26, 2024  Show citation

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Salhi N, Deluyker D, Bito V, Zaid A, El Rhaffari L. In vitro biological activities of Calamintha nepeta L. aqueous extracts. J Appl Biomed. 2024;22(3):155-163. doi: 10.32725/jab.2024.017. PubMed PMID: 39434513.
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