In vitro pharmacological investigation of antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and α-amylase inhibitory activities of hydroethanolic extract from Asparagus albus leaves

Asparagus albus (A. albus); plant species of Asparagaceae family is commonly used for a variety of medicinal purposes in various countries. However, its pharmacological properties remain underexplored. The present study aims to investigate the antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and α-amylase inhibitory activities of A. albus leaves hydroethanolic extract. To assess the antioxidant activity, DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays were used. In addition, the immunomodulatory potential was evaluated using the MTT assay on thymocyte and splenocyte. Additionally, in order to explore the antidiabetic activity of the extract, we studied its capacity to inhibit α-amylase enzyme. The results showed that A. albus hydroethanolic extract has potential antioxidant activity with a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 243.6 ± 5.91 µg/ml in DPPH assay, 8.36 mg BHT equivalent (E)/g extract (Ext) and 3.2 mg Ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g Ext in FRAP and ABTS tests, respectively. In addition, the extract displayed an immunomodulatory effect on thymocytes and splenocytes depending on the concentration, and showed an inhibition activity against α-amylase with an IC50 of 2.67 mg/ml. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the pharmacological properties of A. albus, namely, its antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antidiabetic effects, supporting its traditional medicinal use, and suggesting its relevance for the development of therapeutics.