Chemical constituents and bioactivity of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.

Abstract

Introduction: Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. (Family: Asteraceae) is mainly popular in South-East Asian countries for its traditional medicinal properties. It is usually used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of eruptive fevers, rash, kidney disease, migraines, constipation, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. It is commonly used as a traditional medicine in Vietnam for the treatment of many diseases.
 Methods: The leaves and trunks of G. procumbens were collected, macerated with methanol. The extracts from MeOH-soluble extract were processed by the column chromatographic technique to give pure compounds and the nuclear magnetic resonance methods were applied to determine their chemical structures. The inhibitory activities of these extracts against α-glucosidase were conducted and compared with acarbose.
 Results: Seven organic compounds were isolated and determined the structures, including syringic acid (1), quercetin (2), N,N-dimethylanthranilic acid (3), dehydrovomifoliol (4), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), schottenol (6), montanic acid (7). The inhibition of α-glucosidase test results the IC50 values of the four extracts which were lower than those of acarbose.
 Conclusion: Seven pure compounds were identified from the leaves and trunks of G. procumbens, including two compounds being isolated from G. procumbens for the first time. The test results showed that the the parts of G. procumbens were active as α-glucosidase inhibitor, which would be useful to support the treatment for diabetes.