Abstract
Baccharis dracunculifolia has been used in popular medicine because of its bioactive properties, which include anti-inflammatory, antiulcerative and hepatoprotective potentials. A 2³ central composite rotational design was used to define the best conditions for extracting the bioactive compounds from the leaves of Baccharis dracunculifolia. The parameters studied included the solvent concentration, time and temperature of extraction and the influence of these on the total phenolics content and antioxidant activity. The best conditions were 95 % methanol (v/v), 20 min extraction time, and 70 °C temperature. Under the optimized conditions, high contents of total phenolic compounds (72.5 mg GAE g-1) and high DPPH (865.6 µmol TE g-1) and ABTS (331.11 μmol TE g-1) free radical scavenging capacity and a high ferric reducing antioxidant power (1558.00 μmol FeSO4.7H2O g-1), were obtained. The extract also showed promising anti-microbial activity, demonstrating fungistatic action against C. tropicalis and C. albicans (5 mg mL-1 and 7 mg mL-1, respectively) and bacteriostatic effect against Escherichia coli (60 e 70 mg mL-1), Salmonella enterica typhimurium (40; 60 and 70 mg mL-1) and Staphylococcus aureus (4 mg mL-1). HPLC-DAD analysis showed an extract rich in the phenolic compounds catechin (0.659 mg g-1), caffeic acid (1.135 mg g-1), p-coumaric acid (0.772 mg g-1), ferulic acid (6.24 mg g-1), pinocembrina (0.155 mg g-1) and rutin (0.037 mg g-1).
Highlights
Baccharis dracunculifolia is a shrub of the plant family Asteraceae, native to South America, where it is popularly known as vassourinha do campo, or alecrim do campo
The multivariate approach (23 central composite rotational design (CCRD) experimental design) is a statistical tool that allows obtaining the maximum amount of information with the least number of experiments, generating savings of materials and optimizing the time of experimental execution (Santos et al, 2014)
Greater extraction capacity of phenolic compounds occurred when higher temperatures were used in the process
Summary
Baccharis dracunculifolia is a shrub of the plant family Asteraceae, native to South America, where it is popularly known as vassourinha do campo, or alecrim do campo (field rosemary). This plant species has been used as an alternative and complementary medicine to treat human disease conditions. The medicinal properties of this plant are related to several phytochemical compounds present in its extracts, as well as its essential oils In this context, fourteen volatile compounds have been identified in the essential oils fraction from this plant (Sforcin et al, 2012). Thirteen flavonoids, and especially 3,5diprenyl-p-coumaric acid (artepillin C) were identified in ethanolic extracts of leaf buds from B. dracunculifolia (Maróstica Junior et al, 2008)
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