Abstract
In the present investigation, we compared the radical-scavenging activities and phenolic contents of seven Taiwanese Cirsium species with a spectrophotometric method. We further analyzed their phytochemical profiles with high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection (HPLC–DAD). We found that the flower part of Cirsium japonicum var. australe (CJF) showed the best radical-scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and the hypochlorite ion, for which the equivalents were 6.44 ± 0.17 mg catechin/g, 54.85 ± 0.66 mmol Trolox/g and 418.69 ± 10.52 mmol Trolox/g respectively. CJF also had the highest contents of total phenolics (5.23 ± 0.20 mg catechin/g) and phenylpropanoids (29.73 ± 0.72 mg verbascoside/g). According to the Pearson’s correlation coefficient, there was a positive correlation between the total phenylpropanoid content and ABTS radical-scavenging activities (r = 0.979). The radical-scavenging activities of the phenylpropanoids are closely related to their reducing power (r = 0.986). HPLC chromatograms obtained in validated HPLC conditions confirm that they have different phytochemical profiles by which they can be distinguished. Only CJF contained silicristin (0.66 ± 0.03 mg/g) and silydianin (9.13 ± 0.30 mg/g). CJF contained the highest contents of apigenin (5.56 ± 0.09 mg/g) and diosmetin (2.82 ± 0.10 mg/g). Among the major constituents, silicristin had the best radical-scavenging activities against DPPH (71.68 ± 0.66 mg catechin/g) and ABTS (3.01 ± 0.01 mmol Trolox/g). However, diosmetin had the best reducing power and radical-scavenging activity against the hypochlorite anion (41.57 ± 1.14 mg mmol Trolox/g). Finally, we found that flavonolignans (especial silicristin and silydianin) and diosmetin acted synergistically in scavenging radicals.
Highlights
The contents of the total phenolics, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids in the methanoThe contents of the total phenolics, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids in the methlic standardized extracts of Cirsium species and Cirsii Herba (CH) are presented in Table 1, which were anolic standardized extracts of Cirsium species and CH are presented in Table 1, which measured using 96-well microtiter spectrophotometric methods
CJF has the highest tents of total phenolics and total phenylpropanoids among all the Cirsium species and contents of total phenolics and total phenylpropanoids among all the Cirsium species and CH
We found, using the Folin–Ciocalteau and Arnow methods, that CJF had the highest contents of total phenolics and total phenylpropanoids among the sixteen methanolic standardized extracts of Taiwanese Cirsium species and a traditional
Summary
According to the collection of The Plant List and Plants of the World online in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, there are about 450–480 accepted species in the genus [1,2]. They are native plants distributed in the northern hemisphere including Eurasia, North Africa and North America [3]. According to the Flora of China, there are about 50 native Cirsium species in China [5]. In the Flora of Taiwan, 10 Cirsium species are described, including C. arisanense Kitam. Gray (CB), C. ferum Kitam. (CF), C. hosokawae Kitam. (CHO), C. japonicum DC. var. australe Kitam. (CJ), C. japonicum DC
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