Chemical Profile of Retama raetam Forssk . (Webb) Aerial Parts, Appraisal of the Possible Antioxidant and Antidiarrheal Effects

Retama genus has been used traditionally as an antiseptic, antirheumatic, and antidiabetic agent. The study aims to examine the phytoconstituents of R. raetam aqueous ethanol extract (AEE ) and evaluate its anti-diarrheal and antioxidant activities. Polyphenolics and lipid content were detected using HPLC and GC-MS, respectively. The anti-diarrheal activity was determined using a castor oil-induced enter-pooling animal model for the first time. Hesperidin and kaempferol were the major identified flavonoids. Linoleic and eicosanoic acids were the major unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (FA). The identified sterols were found to have a higher percentage than hydrocarbons. The AEE showed anti-diarrheal activity, increasing the onset of induced diarrhea and decreasing the frequency of defecation and the weight of feces. AEE reduces the intestinal fluid volume and exerts an inhibitory activity on gastrointestinal motility and peristaltic index. Moreover, AEE showed a radical scavenging power compared to Trolox as a positive control. These findings support the traditional use of R. raetam aerial parts for managing diarrhea owing to the synergistic effect of polyphenolics.Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Selenium nanoparticles, Cytotoxicity, Antiradical properties, Anti-inflammatory properties, Anti-microbial properties.