Abstract
Syringa vulgaris L. (common lilac) is one of the most popular ornamental species, but also a promising not comprehensively studied source of bioactive compounds with important therapeutic potential. Our study was designed to characterize the chemical composition and to assess the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of ethanolic extracts obtained from S. vulgaris L. flowers, leaves, bark, and fruit. The chemical profile of the ethanolic extracts was investigated using chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-ESI+, GC-MS) and spectral (UV-Vis, FT-IR) methods, while the protective effect against free radicals was evaluated in vitro by different chemical assays (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC). The cytotoxic activity was tested on two tumoral cell lines, HeLa, B16F10, using the MTT assay. Significant amounts of free or glycosylated chemical components belonging to various therapeutically important structural classes, such as phenyl-propanoids (syringin, acteoside, echinacoside), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol derivatives) and secoiridoids (secologanoside, oleuropein, 10-hydroxy oleuropein, demethyloleuropein, syringalactone A, nuzhenide, lingstroside) were obtained for the flowers, leaves and bark extracts, respectively. Furthermore, MTT tests pointed out a significant cytotoxic potential expressed in a non-dose-dependent manner toward the tumoral lines. The performed methods underlined that S. vulgaris extracts, in particular belonging to flowers and leaves, represent valuable sources of compounds with antioxidant and antitumoral potential.
Highlights
The Oleaceae is an important family among flowering plants, comprising 25 genera, with over 600 species that are spread worldwide in a wide variety of habitats, especially in the temperate and subtropical climates [1,2]
Flowers of the species are recommended as antipyretics and appetizers as a decoction in Bulgaria, while Italian traditional medicine describes the use of bark, fruit, and leaves as a decoction for their astringent and antipyretic effect [8]
Leaves of the species are recommended in Hungarian ethnopharmacology for the treatment of bleeding wounds, joint and muscle aches [9]
Summary
The Oleaceae is an important family among flowering plants, comprising 25 genera, with over 600 species that are spread worldwide in a wide variety of habitats, especially in the temperate and subtropical climates [1,2]. Chinese sources cite the traditional use of all these vegetal medicinal products (flowers, leaves, barks), and of roots, branches and fruit, especially for the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders, joint inflammations, infections, or asthma [5]. Regarding vegetal medicinal products that were tested, they were represented by flowers [10,13,15], barks [11,14,16], stems [12], fruit [10], leaves [11] or all these [1] Information on this species, on its medicinal uses and on the compounds that are responsible for these uses remain scarce [1]. Molecules 2021, 26, 3104 product that has anti-proliferative potential and may be used in the therapy of different forms of cancer
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