Evaluation of natural substances from Evolvulus alsinoides L. with the purpose of determining their antioxidant potency.

In recent years, great attention has been given to the search for natural compounds or extracts with the purpose of medical use. Evolvulus alsinoides L. (Convolvulaceae) is a plant used in traditional medicine of East Asia in many indications and has known nootropic and anti-inflammatory activity. However, the bioactive constituents have been described poorly in the literature. Four substances isolated from the ethanol extract of E. alsinoides by means of polyamide and Silica-gel chromatography are reported here. Their molecular structures were determined using NMR analyses. There were identified as scopoletin, umbelliferone, scopolin and 2-methyl-1,2,3,4-butanetetrol. The quantity of these substances was determined using HPLC-UV and GC-FID detection. Antioxidant activity of the isolated substances was measured by DPPH assay using the SIA method. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the prepared fractions are also described. The prepared fractions and isolated substances did not exhibit any significant activity in DPPH test.

Evaluation of natural antioxidants of Leuzea carthamoides as a result of a screening study of 88 plant extracts from the European Asteraceae and Cichoriaceae.

In recently, there has been a great interest in natural antioxidants as bioactive components of food, nutraceuticals or potential drugs against several diseases. In our study, 88 extracts from various parts of plants from European Asteraceae and Cichoriaceae were assayed for radical scavenging activity by means of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical) test using the SIA (Sequential injection analysis) method developed for this purpose in our laboratory. DPPH radical scavenging activity of all tested plant extracts was evaluated according to the IC(50) parameter. 29 extracts exhibited IC(50) value lower than 0.1 mg/mL. The leaves of Leuzea carthamoides (IC(50) = 0.046 mg/mL) were chosen as the most promising sample for a subsequent phytochemical study, which resulted in isolation of seven natural compounds, namely, 4',5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone (hispidulin) (1), 5, 7, 3', 4'- tetrahydroxyflavanone (eriodictyol) (2), 3',4',5,7-pentahydroxy-6-methoxyflavonol (patuletin) (3), eriodictyol-7-beta-glucopyranoside (4), 6-hydroxykaempferol-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside) (5), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (6) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (protocatechuic acid) (7). Antioxidant activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated by DPPH test and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) test and compared with trolox and quercetin. Both tests evaluated the flavonoid (5) as the most active antioxidant. This result was confirmed by comparison with known data concerning the structure/activity relationships of flavonoids.

In vitro antiplatelet activity of flavonoids from Leuzea carthamoides.

Plants and their secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, exhibit a wide range of biological effects. Consequently, natural substances are receiving an increased attention in medicinal research. Owing to these facts, in vitro antiplatelet activity of ethanol summary extract and four flavonoids from Leuzea carthamoides was determined in human platelet-rich plasma. Arachidonic acid (AA), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen (COL), and thrombin were used as agonists of platelet aggregation. The summary extract showed a significant inhibition of the aggregation induced by COL and ADP. Of the tested flavonoids, eriodictyol (1) and patuletin (2) influenced COL- and AA-induced aggregation. Their IC(50) values are presented. Flavonoid glycosides eriodictyol-7-beta-glucopyranoside (3) and 6-hydroxykaempferol-7-O-(6''-O-acetyl-beta-D[small cap]-glucopyranoside) (4) were found to be weak antiplatelet agents. These results confirmed the fact that glucosylation decreases the antiplatelet activity. Quantitative composition of tested flavonoids in L. carthamoides extract was also determined. Though two of the tested flavonoids inhibited platelet aggregation, further evaluation of L. carthamoides, in order to discover other antiplatelet active compounds and possible adverse health effects, is needed.