LYOPHILIZED AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PINUS HALEPENSIS (MILL.) RESIN: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIDERMATOPHYTIC ACTIVITIES

In traditional Algerian medicine, Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin is used as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, wound healer, for the treatment of respiratory and urinary diseases. In the present study, a lyophilized aqueous extract (LAE) of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin is subjected to chemical composition analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry ( GC/MS), antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro using 2,2-diphenyl-b,picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and beta-carotene bleaching assays. LAE of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin was also tested for its potential activity against four dermatophytic fungi: Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton equinum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans. Results showed that LAE of Pinus halepensis (Mill.) resin contained 64.57% of aromatic compounds. This extract contains also succinic acid, sugars and alcohol sugars, alkaloids and other compounds that represent respectively 0.58%, 6.45%, 0.87% and 2.05%. The obtained extract exhibited satisfying antioxidant activity with an inhibition percentage of 93.76 +/- 0.41 at a concentration of 300 mu g/mL and IC50 of 83.64 mu g/mL by the DPPH method. The tested extract showed also a good antioxidant activity using alpha-carotene test. At resin concentration of 100 mu g/mL antifungal tests showed, inhibition rates of 58.9%, 58.44%, 41.36% and 34.43% against T. tonsurans, T. equinum, T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes respectively. Upon the obtained results, this extract can be used as external treatments for wounds to prevent oxidation and fungal infections.