The aerial parts of yellow horn poppy (glaucium flavum cr.) growing in Egypt: Isoquinoline alkaloids and biological activities

Glaucium flavum Cr. (Family: Papaveraceae), known as the yellow horn poppy, is a medicinal herb found in the Mediterranean region, including Egypt and southern Europe. The plant is well known for its pharmacologically active aporphine-type isoquinoline alkaloids. The plant also exhibits various medicinal properties including antitussive, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and bronchodilator activities. G. flavum is now considered rare and endangered in the Egyptian flora due to urban sprawl and climate changes. The ethanol extract of the aerial part of the plant was subjected to acid–base extraction; the acidic methylene chloride fraction was further chromatographed to yield four isoquinoline alkaloids; glaucine, pontevedrine, oxoglaucine, and catalane. The ethanol extract of aerial parts of was investigated for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The extract reduced writhing in the acetic acid-injected rats by 84.62% compared to untreated animals (control), indicating good analgesic activity. The extract showed biological activity equivalent to diclofenac sodium as an anti-inflammatory agent using the rat hind paw edema method. The extract showed good cytotoxic activity on HepG2 and HCT cells with an IC50 of 28.3 μg and 33.2 μg, respectively. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the aerial parts ethanolic extract were significant, especially among Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli.