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Phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Hydroalcoholic extracts of Corynaea crassa Hook. F (balanophoraceae)

Abstract:

Corynaea crassa Hook is a hemiparasitic plant distributed in many regions of America. It has traditionally been ascribed to have aphrodisiac and antimicrobial activities. The objective of this research is to analyze the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of C. crassa from Ecuador and Peru. The whole plant was used for the preparation of the extract. The extracts were made by percolation with 80% ethanol, and the chemical composition was evaluated by ultraviolet visible (UV/VIS), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The quantification of phenols was done by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the flavonoids were quantified by using the aluminum chloride method. The antioxidant activity was tested by Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays. UV/VIS spectroscopy of the extracts revealed similar spectral appearance, which denoted the presence of flavonoids and an IR profile characteristic of phenolic compounds, with coincident bands between the extracts but different in intensity and width. Phenols and flavonoids were higher for the Ecuadorian plant extract. The LC-MS study detected catechin, quercetin glycoside, and a flavanone glycoside, for the first time. It was shown that the antioxidant capacity of extracts was similar or superior to the tested substances (Vitamin C and Trolox), with the activity of the Ecuadorian extract being higher. The study of the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of C. crassa, has given credence to the use of the plant in traditional medicine.