Pistacia lentiscus (lentisk) is a plant species of the Anacardiaceae family. It is a medicinal plant that grows wild in the Mediterranean region. The plant P. lentiscus, which is used in traditional medicine, possesses pharmacological attributes and may offer significant potential as a therapeutic agent. The biological and therapeutic potentials of lentisk extracts have been evaluated in terms of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Most of these activities are related to the phenolic composition of this plant. It has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases, such as for gastrointestinal diseases, eczema, and throat infections, due to its potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects.
Pharmacological Activity | Plant Part | Product | Method | Significant Results) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antioxidant activity | Leaves | Ethanolic extract from leaves | DPPH (2,2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl): free radical scavenging activity |
The extract (3 g/L) inhibited 95.69% of the activity of the DPPH radicals | [1] |
Leaves | Dichloromethane extract Ethylacetate extract Ethanol extract Methanol extract Aqueous extract |
DPPH free radical scavenging activity Ferric-reducing activity power (FRAP) Carotene bleaching (CB) assay |
IC50 = 05.44 (μg/mL) (Ethanolic extract) 309.60 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g extract (methanolic extract) Inhibition = 90.32% per 2 g/L of extract (dichloromethane extract) |
[9] | |
Leaves | Ethanolic extract | Oxygen radicalabsorbance capacity(ORAC) test | Antioxydant capacity = 5865 µmol TE/100 gE | [8] | |
Leaves | Aqueous extract | Free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay) Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (H2O2) Ferric-reducing power (FRAP) assay Antioxidant assay by phosphomolybdate method |
IC50 (aqueous extract) = 9.86 μg/mL | [16] | |
Berries | Ethanolic extract | DPPH assay (ABTS·+: 2,2′-azino-bis-(3 ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) assay Reducing power activity assay |
IC50 = 8.60 mg/mL IC50 = 8.65 mg/mL IC50 = 12.21 mg/L |
[17] | |
Leaves | Methanolic extract | DPPH assay β-carotene bleaching test |
IC50 = 0.008 mg/mL IC50 = 0.12 mg/mL |
[3] | |
Leaves | Aqueous fraction obtained from chloroformic extract | Reducing power assay Scavenging ability against DPPH radical Activity against linoleic acid peroxidation |
IC50 = 50.03 lg/mL IC50 = 4.24 lg/mL IC50 = 0.82 lg/mL |
[18] | |
Leaves | Methanolic fraction from chlorformic extract | DPPH assay ABTS assay |
inhibition of 50% of DPPH radicals (2.9 μg/mL extract) inhibition of 50% of ABTS•+ (0.6 μg/mL extract) |
[19] | |
Fruits | Aqueous extract Ethyl acetate extract Butanol extract |
Free radical scavenging (DPPH assay) | 100 mg/mL of aqueous extract inhibited 86.13% of DPPH radicals | [20] | |
Leaves | Ethyl acetate fraction from ethanolic extract | Ferric-reducing power assay (FRAP) | IC50 = 15.0 μg/mL (FRAP) | [4] | |
Fruits | Phenolic extract from vegetable oil | DPPH assay | Significant antioxidant power (IC50 = 37.38 mg/mL) | [21] | |
Fruits Twigs Leaves |
Aqeuous extract Hexane extract Ethyl acetate extract Methanol extract Ethanol extract |
Phosphomolybdenum (TAC) assay | The aqueous extract of P. lentiscus leaves showed the highest TAC with 488.16 mg AA/g of extract. | [5] | |
Leaves Fruits |
Methanolic extracts | Free radical DPPH assay | EC 50 = 0.121 mg/mL for leaves and EC 50 = 0.26 mg/mL for fruits | [22] | |
Aerial parts | Methanolic extract |
FRAP | reducing power = 84.6–131.4 mmol Fe2+/L plant extract | [23] | |
Antibacterial activity | Leaves | Dichloromethane extract Ethylacetate extract Ethanolic extract Methanolic extract Aqueous extract |
The disk diffusion method on Muller–Hinton agar (MHA). |
All these extracts had efficient antimicrobial activity against: Gram-positive bacteria: Micrococcus luteus, bacillus subtilis, and listeria innocua Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli The activity was almost the same for all the extracts against each bacterium |
[9] |
Leaves | Aqueous extract | The disc diffusion method | A maximum inhibition zone of 12 mm was observed on Pseudomonas aeruginosae, while moderate activity was obtained against all strains | [16] | |
Leaves | Decoction Petroleum ether extract Ethanol extract Maceration Infusion |
The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by a microdilution assay in microtiter plates The minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) was determined by carrying out a subculture of the tubes showing no growth on plates |
Antimicrobial activity against: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Decoction showed the best activity (MIC = 312 mg/L for all the three bacterial strains). MIC and MBC values were the same, so the substances should possess bactericidal activity |
[24] | |
Leaves | Ethyl acetate fraction from ethanolic extract | The MIC of the extract was determined using the agar dilution method The MBC was determined by taking samples from the nutrient agar plates that showed no visible growth after 24 h incubation and subculturing them in tubes containing nutrient broth |
Moderate inhibitory activities against: Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Vibrio cholerae, and Enterococcus faecalis There was remarkable activityagainst Vibrio cholerae with an MBC value of 0.3 mg/mL |
[4] | |
Leaves | Methanolic extract Aqueous extract |
The disk diffusion method | Antibacterial activity against: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis Methanol extract showed a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of all tested bacterial isolates, with 33 mm and 27 mm against S. aurous and S. haemolyticus, respectively |
[25] | |
Antifungal activity | Leaves | Dichloromethane extract Ethylacetate extract Ethanolic extract Methanolic extract Aqueous extract |
The disk diffusion method on Muller–Hinton agar (MHA). |
Significant antifungal activity against: Candida pelliculosa and fusarium oxysporum albidinis The ethanolic extract was the most active |
[9] |
Leaves | Hydro-methanolic extract (70/30 v/v) | Diffusion using solid medium method | The extract was more active against Trichophyton mentagrophyte and Microsporum canis, with growth inhibition: Trichophyton mentagrophyte (17 mm) Microsporum canis (16.7 mm) |
[26] | |
Leaves | Aqueous extract | The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by a microdilution assay in microtiter plates |
Antifungal activity against: Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Cryptococcus neoformans The highest activity of P.lentiscus was against T. glabrata (MIC = 39–156 mg/L) |
[24] | |
Leaves | Ethyl acetate fraction from ethanolic extract | The MIC of the extract was determined using the agar dilution method | Good antifungal activity against Candida albicans with CMI 0.1 mg/mL |
[4] | |
Anticancer activity | Leaves | Ethanolic extract | The in vitro cytotoxicity of the extract was determined by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay | Moderate cytotoxic activity against lung cancer A549, breast cancer MCF7, prostate cancer PC3, and HepG2 liver cancer |
[27] |
Leaves | Ethanolic extract | 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolim bromide (MTT) assay |
Anticancer potential against melanoma (B16F10) cell lines | [8] | |
Leaves | Methanolic fraction from chlorformic extract (sonication) |
MTT, SRB, and LDH assays forSH-5YSY, and SK-N-BE(2)-C human, and neuronal cell lines, and also on C6 mouse glial cell line | Significant cytoprotective response in both the oxidized cell systems | [19] | |
Edible fixed oil (fruits) |
Hydro-methanolic extract (methanol 80%, v/v) | A crystal violet viability assay with increasing concentrations was carried out |
The extract induced clear dose-dependent effects on the growth of the HT-29 cell line derived from human colorectal adenocarcinoma | [28] | |
Leaves | Hydro-methanolic extract (8:2 v/v) | Cell viability by MTT assay | The extract showed activity on: the SK-N-BE(2)C cell line with an IC50 value of 100.4 ± 1.6 μg/mL the SH-SY5Y cell line with IC50 value of 56.4 ± 1.1 μg/mL |
[29] | |
Anti-inflammatory activity | Leaves | Ethanolic extract | The measurement of the secretion of interleukin-1 by macrophages exposed to ATP or H2O2 on the THP-1 monocytic cell line |
Significant anti-inflammatory activity | [9] |
Leaves | Methanolic extract | Albumin denaturation inhibition method in human red blood cell suspension | Apparent anti-inflammatory activity | [30] | |
Leaves | Chloroformic extract Ethyl acetate extract Methanolic extract |
The carrageenan-induced paw edema assay | MeOH extract presented the best anti-inflammatory activity Dose of 200 mg/kg showed 68% edema inhibition |
[31] | |
Leaves | Methanolic extract (maceration) Aqueous extract (decotion) |
Three inflammation models: Croton oil-induced ear edema in mice Carrageenan induced-pleurisy in rats Acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in mice |
Local treatment with 2 mg/ear of: alcoholic extract significantly decreased ear edema (65%) aqueous extract exerted a lower inhibitory effect (51%). methanolicand aqueous extracts: at (400 mg/kg) inhibited neutrophil migration by 29% and 38%, respectively; at methanolic and aqueous extracts (100 μg/mL) inhibited neutrophil chemataxis by 81% and 71%, respectively |
[32] | |
Fruits | Acetonic extract | The ear edema model induced by Croton oil and the airpouche model induced by lambda carrageenan | Oral administration dose of 300 mg/Kg of extract decreased ear edema by 80% Dose of 1 mg of extract/pouche decreased pouch edema by 34% |
[33] |
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/plants12020279