Abstract
Studies have shown the benefit of antioxidants in the prevention or treatment of human diseases and promoted a growing interest in new sources of plant antioxidants for pharmacological use. This study aimed to add value to two underexploited wild plant species (Licania rigida) and L. tomentosa) from Brazilian flora. Thus, the phenolic compounds profile of their seed ethanol extract and derived fractions were elucidated by HPLC, the antioxidant capacity was assessed by in vitro chemical tests and the cytotoxicity determined using the human carcinoma cell lines MCF-7 and Caco-2. Eleven phenolic compounds were identified in the extracts of each species. The extracts and fractions showed excellent antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay (SC50, ranging from 9.15 to 248.8 µg/mL). The aqueous fraction of L. rigida seeds was most effective in preventing lipid peroxidation under basal conditions (IC50 60.80 µg/mL) whereas, in the presence of stress inducer, the methanolic fraction of L. tomentosa performed best (IC50 8.55 µg/mL). None of the samples showed iron chelating capacity. Ethanolic seed extracts of both species did not reveal any cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and Caco-2 cells. Both plant species showed a promising phenolic profile with potent antioxidant capacity and deserve attention to be sustainably explored.
Highlights
Brazil is the most megadiverse country on Earth and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection
Chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, ascorbic acid, ferrous sulfate, tannic acid, phenantroline and caffeic acid were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), 1,1,3,3-tetraethoxypropane (MDA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), agarose type I, sodium azide, aluminium chloride, potassium acetate, quercetin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, rutin, kaempferol, catechin, epicatechin and Folin–Ciocalteu’s phenolic reagent were acquired from
The seed extracts of L. tomentosa and L. rigida showed promising phenolic profiles with high concentrations of compounds having antioxidant activity, but no cytotoxicity towards the tested cancer cell lines
Summary
Brazil is the most megadiverse country on Earth and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection. One strategy to contribute to the conservation of valuable species for solving human health problems is to provide knowledge to awaken public actions aiming to protect this arsenal of plant species, which, besides their role in the natural ecosystems, can contribute to prevent and treat chronic diseases. The Chrysobalanaceae is a family of trees, shrubs and flowering plants consisting of 17 genera and about 450 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Licania is the most representative genus, which includes the species L. rigida Benth and L. tomentosa Benth [6,7]. These two Licania species are widely spread in Brazil, but more commonly found in the Brazilian Northeast region
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