ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Chem.
Sec. Chemical Biology
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancements in Chemical BiologyView all articles
Rheum officinale Bail. : Chemical Characterization and In-vitro Biological Activities
Provisionally accepted
Fatima Kerroum1Aicha Atoui2
Latifa Khattabi1
Mustafa Abdullah YILMAZ3
Oguz CAKIR3
Ayomide Victor Atoki4*
Mohammed Messaoudi5- 1Centre de Recherche en Biotechnologie, Constantine, Algeria
- 2Universite Freres Mentouri Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria
- 3Dicle Universitesi, Diyarbakır, Türkiye
- 4Kampala International University Western Campus, Kampala, Uganda
- 5Centre de Recherche Nucleaire de Birine, Djelfa, Algeria
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Phytochemicals derived from medicinal plants are increasingly utilized in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical industries due to their bioactive properties. Rheum officinale, a medicinal rhubarb species, is valued for its bioactive components. This study analyses the chemical composition, including the phytochemical profile, and pharmacological activities of Rheum officinale Bail. stems in Algeria. The antioxidant potential of the extract was assessed using various assays, including DPPH, ABTS, ferric and cupric reducing power, β-carotene bleaching, and metal chelation. Anti-enzymatic activity was evaluated using α-amylase and cholinesterase assays. LC–ESI-MS/MS analysis revealed the phytochemical profile of the extract, with quinic acid identified as the major component. Antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans was confirmed via agar diffusion and inhibition zone (C) tests. The extract demonstrated potent antioxidant activity, with radical scavenging IC₅₀ values lower than those of standard antioxidants such as BHT and α-tocopherol (IC50 = 0.42 ± 1.43 µg/ml). Total phenol and flavonoid content were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods, yielding high values (373.10 ± 0.055 mg GAE/g and 38.012 ± 0.05 mg QE/g, respectively). Enzyme inhibition assays demonstrated significant activity against key enzymes related to Alzheimer's disease (IC50: 28.14±2.22; 73.71±1.48 µg/m) and diabetes (IC50: 36.21±0.56 µg/m). The extract also exhibited antimicrobial effects. Given its bioactive potential, Rheum officinale presents promising opportunities for therapeutic product development, supporting the pharmaceutical industry.
Keywords: RHEUM OFFICINALE, Antimicrobial activity, enzyme inhibition, antioxidant, Phytochemical profile
Received: 07 Jul 2025; Accepted: 04 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kerroum, Atoui, Khattabi, YILMAZ, CAKIR, Atoki and Messaoudi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ayomide Victor Atoki, atokiav@kiu.ac.ug
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