Abstract
Berberis species are known for their use in traditional medicine. Here, we report the phenolic composition and bioactivity of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Berberis thunbergii DC. leaves. The phenolic profiling and the quantitation of the main compounds were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometry detections. The most abundant compounds in both extracts were caffeoylquinic acids (chlorogenic acid, particularly, with a concentration of 90.1–101.3 mg g−1 dried extract), followed by caffeoylglucaric acids and quercetin glycosides. Antioxidant and radical scavenging assays (phosphomolybdenum, DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating activity), as well as enzyme inhibitory assays (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase, glucosidase, and lipase), were carried out to evaluate the potential bioactivity of B. thunbergii. The methanolic extract presented the highest antioxidant and radical scavenging values, in agreement with its higher phenolic content. Regarding enzyme inhibitory potential, the methanolic extract was also more potent than the aqueous one. Hence, B. thunbergii leaves represent a suitable candidate for the preparation of pharmaceutical or nutraceutical products.
Highlights
Berberis is a large genus of the Berberidaceae family, which is represented by around 500 species distributed worldwide
We have analyzed the phenolic profile of B. thunbergii DC. leaves and quantified the most abundant compounds
(101.3 mg g−1 Dried extracts (DE) in MeOH extract), followed by other caffeoylquinic acids and caffeoylglucaric acids; quercetin glycosides were quantified. Both extracts exhibited potent antioxidant activity, the MeOH extract was the most potent, probably due to the highest TIPC, all compounds may interact in a synergetic way
Summary
Berberis is a large genus of the Berberidaceae family, which is represented by around 500 species distributed worldwide. This genus consists of spiny evergreen shrubs with yellow wood and flowers, yellow or orange, appear alone or in racemes (3–6 mm long). The medicinal properties of Berberis have been known and appreciated for thousands of years. Many of them are due to the presence of alkaloids with different pharmacological activities [2], being berberine one of the most active compounds [3]. Some species of Berberis contain predominant phenolic compounds in their leaves, such as chlorogenic acid and rutin [4]
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