Constituents of Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene Leaves with Potent Antioxidant Capacity: A Feature-Based Molecular Network Dereplication Approach.

Paulo Gomes,Jean-Luc Wolfender,José Reis,Jesus Souza,Mariele Trindade,Abraão Muribeca,Milton Silva,Sônia Pamplona,Anderson Lima,Consuelo Silva,Luis Quirós-Guerrero,Jean Boutin

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics13050681

Abstract

Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene (Fabaceae/Caesalpiniaceae) is a herbaceous plant that is widely distributed throughout the Americas. Plants from this genus have been used in traditional medicine as a laxative, to heal wounds, and to treat ulcers, snake and scorpion bites. In the present study, we investigated the chemical composition of Chamaecrista diphylla leaves through a mass spectrometry molecular network approach. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) for the ethanolic extract, enriched fractions and isolated compounds was assessed. Overall, thirty-five compounds were annotated for the first time in C. diphylla. Thirty-two of them were reported for the first time in the genus. The isolated compounds 9, 12, 24 and 33 showed an excellent antioxidant capacity, superior to the extract and enriched fractions. Bond dissociation energy calculations were performed to explain and sustain the antioxidant capacity found. According to our results, the leaves of C. diphylla represent a promising source of potent antioxidant compounds.

Highlights

IntroductionOxidative stress is produced when cells cannot eliminate the excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the mitochondria; it is directly related to biological aging [1]
To locate the compounds responsible for this activity, the ethanolic extract (EE) was subjected to silica gel column chromatography to produce methanolic (Fr-MeOH) and ethyl acetate (Fr-OAcEt) enriched fractions
The major compounds found in the EE chromatographic trace were found in Fr-MeOH, whereas the minor compounds at higher retention times were concentrated in Fr-OAcEt

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress is produced when cells cannot eliminate the excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the mitochondria; it is directly related to biological aging [1]. Oxidative stress is a major cofactor for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cancer, diabetes and acute inflammatory problems [2]. Humans are exposed to several biotic and abiotic factors, like UV radiation, allergens, toxins or factors arising from an unhealthy lifestyle (poor diet, physical morbidity, etc.), contributing to oxidative stress [3]. The pharmaceutical industry implements natural and synthetic antioxidants, substances that inhibit and or decrease the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen or Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 681.

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