Anti-hyperuricemic potential of caryophyllene from Syzygium aromaticum essential oil: SiO2-AgNO3-based column chromatography purification, antioxidant, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities

Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme that plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of uric acid. Inhibiting this enzyme can diminish the production of uric acid. Caryophyllene is a type 2 cannabinoid agonist receptor widely distributed in all plants' essential oil and provides plentiful biological activities. This research was carried out to isolate and evaluate the antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of caryophyllene. Caryophyllene was isolated from Syzygium aromaticum essential oil using SiO2- AgNO3-based column chromatography. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was assessed by molecular docking and in vitro assay using a spectrophotometer in 96-well plates below the aerobic conditions, while the antioxidant activity was tested to DPPH and measured as AAI. Our study revealed that the SiO2- AgNO3-based column chromatography technique provides caryophyllene with a purity of 98%. The biological evaluation showed that caryophyllene could inhibit the xanthine oxidase in silico and in vitro with an IC50 value of 4.79 +/- 0.25 mu g/mL. Caryophyllene also exhibits very strong antioxidant activity. In conclusion, caryophyllene shows a promising potential to be developed as a novel candidate for uric acid-lowering agents. [Graphics] .