Determination by UHPLC – UV – MS of polyphenol content of Amaranthus retroflexus

Abstract

Having a very large area globally, the genus Amaranthus has been known since ancient times and used as a medicinal plant used in the treatment of various ailments. For the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, the main constituents considered active are compounds from the polyphenol class. In order to identify and quantify some of these compounds, this paper briefly presents a UHPLC–UV–MS analysis study of polyphenolic compounds from Amaranthus retroflexus. Through our study we identified a high concentration of rutin. Thus, if rutin is intended to be used in medical practice, only the leaves will be used, the rest of the plant would produce an unwanted dilution. In addition, C₁₆H₁₈O₉, C₉H₈O₄, C7H6O4, C9H8O3 and C10H10O4 were identified. It has been observed that the leaves contain flavonoids in a higher amount than other parts of the plant. Through our study, we contributed to establishing the working parameters necessary to perform the analyses. For the first time, we have indicated the organs with the highest content of flavonoids, from the composition of the plants in the Oltenia area, Romania. For medical practice, the results obtained by us can represent important milestones in the production of pharmaceutical preparations.