Bioactivity assays and phytochemical analysis upon Achillea filipendulina, focusing on xanthine oxidase inhibitory and antimalarial properties

Background Achillea filipendulina (L.) is an important medicinal plant and an Asian species of the Asteraceae family. A. filipendulina that grows in Central and Southwest Asia. It was chosen for study with the aim of screening biologically active compounds in the essential oil of the aerial parts and the antioxidant, antimalarial and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of its extract. Essential oil was extracted by using Clevenger apparatus. Extraction was done by Soxhlet apparatus with solvents of n-hexane, DCM (dichloromethane) and MeOH (methanol), and then, fractionation of extracts was accomplished through various chromatographic techniques including VLC (vacuum liquid chromatography) approach and SPE (solid phase extraction) technique. Results Approximately 79% of A. filipendulina essential oil components were recognized by the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS), of which monoterpenes were 63.2% the most abundant components, except for terpenes, other compounds such as fatty acids, phenols, aromatic compounds and ketones were identified, as well antimalarial activity test was done by β-hematin formation assay and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was accomplished by Ransod kit, then antioxidant activity was performed by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrzyl) free radical scavenging technique. Preliminary phytochemical screening of MeOH and DCM extracts was done by TLC (thin layer chromatography) and total phenol assay. Monoterpenoids were the main component of the aerial part’s essential oil. Among different extracts, MeOH extract had significant antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities with RC 50 (mg/mL) = 0.0707 and IC 50 = 12.8741 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover DCM extract had significant antimalarial activities with IC 50 (mg/mL) = 0.2511. Among the fractions, 40% and 60% Sep-Pak fraction of MeOH extract had stronger xanthine oxidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. The 40% fraction of MeOH extract showed the strongest antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities, which might be related to the presence of phenolic compounds. The 80% VLC fraction of DCM extract also indicated the strong antimalarial activities. Conclusion As this plant revealed a high content of phenols along with high antioxidant, antimalarial and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities, it could have great medicinal value. Our results suggested the possible use of A. filipendulina in development of highly potent new pure medicinal compoun