Abstract
The leaves of Bauhinia forficata L. (Fabaceae) are used in Brazilian folk medicine mainly as antidiabetic agent. They are rich in polyphenols, and kaempferitrin and other flavonoids are currently considered as basic chemical criteria for the quality and the effectiveness of extracts and phytopharmaceuticals derived from them. Aiming to expand the scope of current data of the chemical profile of B. forficata subsp. forficata, the present study employed HPLC-DAD and HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS to compare the flavonoid profile and kaempferitrin content in the leaves of specimens collected seasonally during one year, in two different locations in Southeastern Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and São Paulo (SP) states. The data showed a variation in the flavonoid profile and in the kaempferitrin content depending on the place of collection and the season of the year. The target compound, kaempferitrin, was found to be only a minor constituent in RJ (0.21 - 1.02 μg/mg), and was mostly absent or occurred as trace in SP location (0.00 - 0.12 μg/mg). Some degree of similarity was observed in the flavonoid profiles according to the region of collection. In agreement with some published reports, the low and quite variable kaempferitrin content as well the wide variability of the flavonoid profiles brings into question the dubious matter of using these compounds as chemical markers for this medicinal species.
Highlights
Bauhinia forficata Link (Fabaceae) is a medium-sized tree found in Southeastern and Southern Brazil, popularly known as pata-de-vaca due to the bilobed shape of its leaves [1]
The data showed a variation in the flavonoid profile and in the kaempferitrin content depending on the place of collection and the season of the year
The results have shown a wide variation on kaempferitrin content and polyphenolic profiles among commercial samples and those from different locations and seasons, including the two B. forficata subspecies: forficata and pruinosa [18] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
Summary
Bauhinia forficata Link (Fabaceae) is a medium-sized tree found in Southeastern and Southern Brazil, popularly known as pata-de-vaca (cow’s hoof) due to the bilobed shape of its leaves [1]. The researchers have striven to correlate the hypoglycemic effect to the chemical content of Bauhinia species, in particular the flavonoid-enriched fraction [9] and the individual constituent kaempferitrin (kaempferol-3,7-O-αdirhamnoside) (Figure 1) [10] [11]. Since it was firstly reported as a marked component in the methanolic extract of B. forficata leaves [12], the flavonoid kaempferitrin has drawn the attention as a possible responsible for the antihyperglycemic activity. The LC/ESI-MS analysis of the leaf extract of B. forficata did not reveal the presence of kaempferitrin but instead characterized four other quercetin and kaempferol glycosides as constituents [17]
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