Antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium L)

Plants constitute a source of natural phytochemical components which are widely known for their potential biological activities. This work concerned a study of the antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium L.) parts (flowers, fruits, leaves and stems) using different solvent extracts (cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water). The different squirting cucumber parts had an appreciable anti-tumour activity in the less polar extracts contrarily to the antioxidant activity. Squirting cucumber flowers had an appreciable anti-inflammatory activity in the polar extracts with the highest NO inhibition in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of squirting cucumber stems had an affinity for the apolar extracts with the highest nitric oxide inhibition in the cyclohexane and the dichloromethane extracts. Squirting cucumber leaves and fruits had an important anti-inflammatory activity in both polar (particularly ethyl acetate for leaves and water for fruits) and apolar (cyclohexane for these two organs) extracts. Squirting cucumber exhibited a potent antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activities owing to its bioactive chemical components and may be a good plant based product for pharmaceutical industry.