Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L. and its great bioactive potential Artigo de Conferência uri icon

resumo

  • Plant-derived compounds have been extensively investigated to find novel active compounds as templates to mitigate the relative void of combinatorial chemistry, offering the potential to discover innovative structures that can lead to effective agents for various purposes [1]. Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L. is a wild edible parasitic plant on numerous members of the Cistaceae family. Although its biological properties were potentially attributed to its hydrolysable tannin content, its chemical composition was largely unknown, and the active substances not yet identified [2,3]. Thus, to decipher its potential applications, this work aimed at studying the bioactive properties and chemical composition of C. hypocistis. The plant material was collected in Castro Daire, Portugal. After lyophilisation, four different hydroethanolic extracts (whole plant, nectar chamber of the flower, petals, and stalks) were prepared and used for further analysis. The proximate composition was evaluated by AOAC official procedures; free sugars were determined using HPLC-RI, while organic acids were determined using UPLC-DAD [4]. Phenolic compounds were analysed by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn [4-6]. C. hypocistis extracts were tested for their antioxidant (OxHLIA and TBARS), antibacterial (MIC and MBC), anti-inflammatory (murine macrophage - RAW64.7), and wound healing (migration capacity of HaCaT cells) properties. Enzyme inhibitory properties for α-amylase, SARSCoV- 2 chymotrypsin-like protease, and tyrosinase were also evaluated. C. hypocistis study unveiled its nectar as a balanced source of nutrients. A correlation between its hydrolysable tannin content and bioactive properties was also established. Extracts exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and good antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and wound healing properties, together with the capacity to inhibit tyrosinase, α-amylase, and SARS-CoV-2 chymotrypsin-like protease. These results are significant evidence of the versatile profile of this plant. For bioactivity validation and mechanism investigation, further studies on fractionation, isolation, and compound characterisation are required.

data de publicação

  • janeiro 1, 2022