Abstract
Asplenium ceterach (syn. Ceterach officinarum Willd.) or rustyback fern, is a plant species traditionally used in Mediterranean countries as expectorant, diuretic, against spleen complaints, kidney stones and hemorrhoids. Phytochemical analysis of gametophytes and sporophytes of A. ceterach was performed, followed by comparative analysis of phenolic composition and the antioxidant properties of the extracts (scavenging capacities against ABTS · + and DPPH · ). Totally 16 phenolic compounds belonging to the classes of phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycynnamic acids), flavonoids (flavan-3-ols, flavonols), and xanthones were identified using UHPLC/DAD/–HESI-MS/MS analysis. Differential phenolics’ composition of the two phases of the life cycle of this fern was observed which significantly determined their radical scavenging activities. In sporophytes of A. ceterach considerably high amounts of chlorogenic acid were found, while xanthones were mostly abundant in gametophytes, recommending this fern species as a valuable source of bioactive compounds.
Highlights
Ferns (Class Polypodiopsida) include over 12,000 species, many of which being of ornamental, medicinal, and ethnobotanical importance, or with a specific role in habitat conservation (Soare, 2008)
P-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and chlorogenic acids have been previously reported for A. unilaterale (Bohm, 1968; Glass and Bohm, 1969), while catechol derivatives have been identified in A. adiantum-nigrum (Bohm, 1968)
Rutin (m/z[M-H]- at 609) was the only flavonol identified in A. ceterach, and has been previously reported for ferns belonging to other genera (Ansari and Ekhlasi Kazaj, 2012)
Summary
Ferns (Class Polypodiopsida) include over 12,000 species, many of which being of ornamental, medicinal, and ethnobotanical importance, or with a specific role in habitat conservation (Soare, 2008). Ferns are peculiar in having the life cycle which alternates between two distinct phases: a diploid sporophyte and a haploid gametophyte, the former representing the asexual, spore-producing phase and the later the sexual, gamete-producing generation. Ceterach officinarum Willd., family Aspleniaceae) or rustyback is widely spread fern species in Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. It is being used medicinally as a diuretic, expectorant, against spleen complaints, kidney stones and hemorrhoids (Vokou et al, 1993; Guarrera and Lucia, 2007). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report of comparative phytochemical analysis of gametophytes and sporophytes of Asplenium ceterach, aiming to further explore the relationship between their phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity
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