Abstract
The aim of this study was the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of Cotoneaster melanocarpus Lodd. and the identification of antioxidant active constituents of this plant. C. melanocarpus Lodd. is a shrub indigenous to Mongolia and used in Traditional Mongolian Medicine as a styptic. Before extraction, the plant material was separated into three parts: young sterile shoots, older stems and leaves. All these parts were extracted with water, methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and hexane, successively. The methanolic extract of the sterile shoots showed the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay (IC50 30.91 ± 2.97 µg/mL). This active extract was further analyzed with chromatographic methods. TLC fingerprinting and HPLC indicated the presence of the flavonol glycosides quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (hyperoside) and quercetin-3-O-glucoside (isoquercetin), ursolic acid as well as chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid. The findings were substantiated with LC-MS. All identified compounds have antioxidant properties and therefore contribute to the radical scavenging activity of the whole plant.
Highlights
The process of ageing is very complex and universal to every organism
It is well established that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals play a significant part in the degeneration of cell tissue
The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay is a very reliable way to determine the ability of plant extracts to scavenge free radicals
Summary
The process of ageing is very complex and universal to every organism. It can be characterized as a progressive deterioration in physiological functions and metabolic processes, leading to sickness and death [1]. Many ROS are by-products of the normal human metabolism and play an important part in cell signaling and the immune response [2,3]. They can cause oxidative damage to macromolecules leading to a variety of age-related disorders and other diseases. The Cotoneaster genus belongs to the Rosaceae family and is widely distributed around the globe They are mostly planted for ornamental purposes, various species are used to treat different disorders in traditional medical systems throughout Asia [8,9]. On the basis of this antioxidant activity and due to the absence of studies that would indicate the plant metabolites contributing to this activity, this study was performed to identify some of the main antioxidant constituents
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