Dittrichia viscosa L. Leaves: A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds with Multiple Pharmacological Effects

Abstract

This work focused on the leaves of <i>Dittrichia viscosa</i>, a plant used in Mediterranean folk medicine. Compared to water extract, the methanolic extract had higher antioxidant effects. Moreover, this extract showed potent in vitro inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase and showed an interesting antiglycation effect. Additionally, the evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extract against two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, was very promising, with no cytotoxicity towards normal cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The antibacterial effect was also assessed and showed potent inhibitory activity against <i>Proteus mirabilis</i> and <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>. On the other hand, <i>Dittrichia viscosa</i> leaves were rich in macro-elements containing appropriate micro-elements and high levels of phenolics and flavonoids such as caffeic acid derivatives. Taken together, the results obtained in this study indicate that <i>Dittrichia viscosa</i> could constitute a valuable source of bioactive molecules and could be used either on the preventive side or for therapeutic applications without toxicity.