Abstract
The numerous studies indicate leaves of plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds that can be a valuable source of compounds used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and the antioxidant property of Crocus speciosus leaves. Primary phytochemical screening of C. speciosus leaves revealed the presence of some following compound categories such as phenolic compounds, aminoacids, saponins, proteins, tannins, triterpenoids, glycosides, polysaccharides. The total flavonoids and phenolic compounds content were determined spectrophotometrically and by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. Antiradical activity was determined by ABTS radical-cation scavenging method, spectrophotometrically. The total amount of flavonoids in C. speciosus leaves was 1.07 ± 0.02 mg RE/g (p < 0.05), the total amount of phenolic compounds was 0.41 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g (p < 0.05). By HPLC-DAD-MS analysis the presence of the mangiferin, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, kaempferol, hyperoside, and isoquercitin was established for the first time in Crocus leaves. The antiradical activity of C. speciosus leaves extracts was 150.08 ± 4.5 μmol/g (p < 0.05) and its was mainly attributed to phenolic compounds content. The high amounts of flavonoids and antiradical activity in C. speciosus leaves suggests promising phytochemical and pharmacological study of this Crocus species.
Highlights
The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) consists of about 100 species recognized [1,2]
According to literature data on the chemical composition of Crocus genus plants, several classes of biologically active compounds were selected for further identification in plant raw materials by HPLC methods
The phytochemical analysis showed that Crocus speciosus leaves contains a different phytochemicals as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, aminoacids, saponins, proteins, tannins, triterpenoids, glycosides, polysaccharides
Summary
The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) consists of about 100 species recognized [1,2]. The genus Crocus is divided into two subgenera: subgenus Crociris containing C. banaticus and subgenus Crocus comprising the remaining species. (Iridaceae) consists of about 100 species recognized [1,2]. The genus Crocus is divided into two subgenera: subgenus Crociris containing C. banaticus and subgenus Crocus comprising the remaining species. The subgenus Crocus is further divided into two sections: section Crocus and section Nudiscapus. The genus is of ecological, horticultural, culinary and pharmacological importance [3]. The most known representative of the genus Crocus is Crocus sativus L. or saffron, which is used as a coloring agent, flavor enhancer and as a medicine. Recent researches [4,5,6] point to the value of by-products in the saffron production. The possibility of additional use of leaves, flowers or low-quality corms of the plant can increase the profit for the farming
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