Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant and Antiparasitic Activity of Extract of Alhagi graecorum Plant Used in Traditional Medicine: Collected in Saudi Arabia

Background: Plants within the same species vary in chemical composition. Phytochemicals serve as a source of novel therapeutic compounds owing to their structural variety and abundant availability. A. graecorum serves as an herb, fodder and alternative medicine source. The genus Coccidia, which is prevalent in rabbits, is a primary contributor to intestinal problems in traditional rabbit rearing. Methods: An analysis was conducted on phytochemical composition in the extract of A. graecorum. The antioxidant activity of AG extract was evaluated in vitro through ABTS assays and the IC50 values were established. In vitro antiparasitic activity was assessed using five different concentrations of AG extract. The inhibition of sporulated oocysts of the extract was assessed at 72 hours. Result: The FT-IR test of the A. graecorum extract showed that it contained 13 different compounds. Also, the GC-MS analysis revealed approximately 9 principal biologically active compounds. The extract had strong antioxidant properties, with inhibition rates ranging from 88% to 10% at concentrations from 500 to 15.625 μg/mL. The IC50 value was found to be 167.52 μg/mL. The antiparasitic effects were tested in vitro and showed that oocysts were most of inhibition at concentrations of 50 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL and the reference drug.