Title : In vitro therapeutic bioactivity testing of Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa/Lucerne)
Abstract:
Intro: As a response to the persisting global burden of diseases, the United Nation’s SGD3 aims to ensure healthy lives and to promote well-being for all people at all ages by the year 2030. The urgent need for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics is motivated by emerging infectious diseases, resistance to drugs by superbugs, the high cost of medicines and clinical care, the negative side effects, and the unequal access to healthcare and medicines. For therapeutic drug development, medicinal plants remain the leading source of ingredients due to their chemical, structural and compound diversity.
Methodology: The therapeutic potential/activity of Medicago sativa L. was measured using the reliable Sulforhodamine B Assay, Broth Micro-Dilution Assay, the colorimetric Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA), The 3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, anti-inflammatory assay towards the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, and the Glucose Utilization Activity using L6 muroid skeletal muscle and C3A/HEPG2 liver cells.
Results and Discussion: Medicagos sativa L. is a well-used animal fodder crop globally, that exhibited considerable therapeutic bioactivity in our experiments. Medicago sativa L. is a rich source of therapeutic and nutritional compounds that includes carbs, proteins, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolics. In our experiments, Medicago sativa L. demonstrated considerable anti-microbial, anti-cancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic healing activity.
Conclusion: The use of water infused with herbs (tea) is a reliable non-drug therapeutic concoction that is supported by our experimental results, therefore further fractionation of alfalfa to identify active compounds is recommended.
