GC-MS metabolic profiling and anti-urease activity of nonpolar fractions of Calligonum Polygonoides L. (Polygonaceae) and Crateva Adansonii DC. Prodr. (Capparaceae)

Purpose: To determine the urease-inhibitory activity and chemical constituents of fractions of Calligonum polygonoides and Crateva adansonii separated by physical properties. Methods: The anti-urease activities of different fractions of the plants (methanol, n-hexane, CHCl3, nbutanol) were evaluated using a standard procedure. The chemical constituents of the extracts with the highest urease-inhibitory activity were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: The n-hexane fractions of both plants had higher urease-inhibitory activity and a lower halfmaximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) than the other extracts. GC-MS evaluation revealed that nhexane fraction of C. polygonoides was rich in fatty acids (39.36 %), sterols (22.29 %), long chain alkanes (98.5 %), and a few volatiles (5.26 %), while the n-hexane fraction of C. adansonii had high levels of alkanes (35.03 %), sterols (10.46 %), fatty acid esters (46.82 %), and triterpenes (23.76 %). Conclusion: The n-hexane fractions of the plants demonstrate high urease-inhibitory activity. Thus, these plant-based anti-urease fractions can potentially serve as a starting point for the development of novel antibacterial agents with enhanced efficacy and reduced antibiotic resistance in the treatment of pathological conditions and infections associated with urease.