Abstract
BackgroundEtlingera elatior is a well-known herb in Malaysia with various pharmaceutical properties.MethodsE. elatior flowers grown in three different locations of Malaysia (Kelantan, Pahang and Johor), were investigated for differences in their content of secondary metabolites (total phenolics [TPC], total flavonoids [TFC], and total tannin content [TTC]) as well as for their antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were isolated and identified using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activities. The anticancer activity of extracts was evaluated using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay.ResultsWhen extracted with various solvents (aqueous and ethanolic), samples from the different locations yielded significantly different results for TPC, TFC, and TTC as well as antioxidant activity. Aqueous extracts of E. elatior flowers collected from Kelantan exhibited the highest values: TPC (618.9 mg/100 g DM), TFC (354.2 mg/100 g DM), TTC (129.5 mg/100 g DM), DPPH (76.4 %), and FRAP (6.88 mM of Fe (II)/g) activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 34.5 μg/mL compared with extracts of flowers collected from the other two locations. The most important phenolic compounds isolated in this study, based on concentration, were: gallic acid > caffeic acid > tannic acid > chlorogenic acid; and the most important flavonoids were: quercetin > apigenin > kaempferol > luteolin > myricetin. Extracts of flowers from Kelantan exhibited potent anticancer activity with a IC50of 173.1 and 196.2 μg/mL against the tumor cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 respectively, compared with extracts from Pahang (IC50 = 204.5 and 246.2 μg/mL) and Johor samples (IC50 = 277.1 and 296.7 μg/mL). Extracts of E. elatior flowers also showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 30 to >100 μg/mL.ConclusionsIn general, therefore, based on the potent antioxidant and anticancer activity of flower extracts, it appears that E. elatior grown in the North-east of Malaysia (Kelantan) is a potential source of therapeutic compounds with anti-cancer activity.
Highlights
Etlingera elatior is a well-known herb in Malaysia with various pharmaceutical properties
Total flavonoids, and total tannin contents Aqueous and ethanol extracts of E. elatior flowers collected from three different locations in Malaysia, were evaluated for phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties
Aqueous flower extracts from Kelantan exhibited the highest level of TPC (618.9 mg/ 100 g DM) compared with that of aqueous extracts of flowers collected from Pahang (544.7 mg/100 g DM) and Johor (516.4 mg/100 g DM)
Summary
Etlingera elatior is a well-known herb in Malaysia with various pharmaceutical properties. Some plants of Malaysian origin have been screened for their pharmaceutical activity, yet little is known about their constituents that may contribute to their medicinal functionality. This information is necessary to validate the safety, traditional uses, and to standardize preparations of these plants. To the best of our knowledge, there is little information on the content and pharmaceutical quality of flavonoid and phenolic compounds in Malaysian E. elatior It is not known whether the production of secondary metabolites differs between E. elatior grown in different geographical locations in Malaysia. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical content and to investigate the antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial activity of E. elatior flowers grown in three different areas [North-east (Kelantan), Central (Pahang), and Southeast (Johor)] of Malaysia
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