Research Article |
Corresponding author: Liliia Budniak ( stoyko_li@tdmu.edu.ua ) Academic editor: Plamen Peikov
© 2023 Diana Demydiak, Liudmyla Slobodianiuk, Oleg Gerush, Liliia Budniak, Valeriia Sydor , Olha Skrynchuk , Olha Demydiak, Nadiia Panasenko , Vadym Ratynskyi .
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Demydiak D, Slobodianiuk L, Gerush O, Budniak L, Sydor V, Skrynchuk O, Demydiak O, Panasenko N, Ratynskyi V (2023) HPLC-DAD analysis of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in Aster novi-belgii L. Pharmacia 70(3): 745-750. https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.70.e94344
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Aster novi-belgii is a perennial ornamental herb native to eastern Canada and the United States of America, cultivated in Ukraine. This species should be considered a possible source of phenolic compounds, principally hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids. Therefore, in this study, the aim was to determine these compounds in Aster novi-belgii by HPLC-DAD analysis, and validation of this chromatographic method and lay a scientific and technical basis for the utilization and development of the plant resources of the cultivated plants of the genus Aster. The HPLC-DAD method determined the flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids composition and content in the herb of Aster novi-belgii L. The HPLC-DAD method allowed the detection of 13 phenolic compounds, namely 6 hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, sinapic, caffeic, syringic, trans-cinnamic, trans-ferulic acids), and 7 flavonoids (kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, naringin, quercetin, luteolin, rutin, kaempferol, rhamnetin). The quantitative detection showed that the main hydroxycinnamic acids were chlorogenic acids (15069.21 ± 0.34 µg/g) and sinapic acids (949.95 ±0.22 µg/g). Concerning flavonoids, the largest amounts were kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside (8989.79 ±0.31 µg/g) and naringin (2092.02 ± 0.26 µg/g). HPLC-DAD method was evaluated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, limits of quantification, and limits of detection. The calibration curves of reference substances were linear (R2 ≥ 0.997), the LODs were in the range of 0.21–1.71 µg/mL, and the LOQs – of 0.48–5.19 µg/mL, respectively. Our phytochemical research confirms that the study material is a rich source of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids. Findings mean that Aster novi-belgii is a promising plant because of the important role of these phenolic compounds in many biological processes.
HPLC-DAD, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, phenolic compounds, Aster novi-belgii
Concerns over possible adverse health effects of commonly used synthetic antioxidants have driven research interests toward finding antioxidants from natural sources, mainly from widely consumed foods (
Polyphenols are a group of small organic molecules synthesized by plants as secondary metabolites. Among these compounds, special attention has been given to the most prominent classes of polyphenols, namely flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in plants of medicinal importance as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, or antibacterial compounds (
For example, Asteraceae, one of the largest herbal families worldwide (1300 genera and approximately 21000 species) (
Aster
is a large genus of the family Asteraceae comprising more than 200 species distributed around the world (
Aster novi-belgii
is an ornamental herbaceous perennial native to the eastern United States and Canada (
The pharmacological effect of the Aster novi-belgii is caused by a complex of biologically active substances, the composition of which has not yet been studied in Ukraine. The primary focus of this study is to establish a platform for the analysis of identified flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids from Aster novi-belgii. The objective is to provide preliminary data for a comprehensive HPLC-DAD analysis of these compounds in Aster novi-belgii and to lay a scientific and technical basis for the utilization and development of the plant resources of the cultivated plants of genus Aster.
Aster novi-belgii
L. herb was selected as the object of study. Plant raw material was collected at the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-grade acetonitrile, trichloroacetic acid, and methanol (E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) were used for the HPLC analysis. Deionized water was purified using a Milli-Q system (Millipore, Bedford, MA, USA) (
High-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC DAD) analysis was performed using an Agilent Technologies 1200 (USA) equipped with a G1311A quaternary pump, a G1315B diode array detector, a G1313A autosampler, and a G1316A column compartment (
Separation was performed using a Zorbax SB-C18 column (5 μm, 150 mm × 4.6 mm, i.d., Agilent, USA). The temperature of the column was set at 30 °C and the flow rate was 1.0 ml/min, 20 µl of injection. Mobile phase A – 0.1% trichloroacetic acid, mobile phase B – acetonitrile was used as shown in Table
HPLC-DAD gradient solvent system for hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids separation.
Time/min | Solvent A (%) | Solvent B (%) |
---|---|---|
0–2 | 98 | 2 |
2–25 | 90 | 10 |
25–40 | 85 | 15 |
40–48 | 80 | 20 |
48–68 | 75 | 25 |
Peak purity and absorbance were automatically detected by a DAD (UV–Vis) detector at 200–400 nm. Purified fractions of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids were identified by matching retention time and spectra of standards with unknown peaks. External standards were used for the identification and quantification of compounds (
The sample of herbal raw materials was ground into a powder by a laboratory mill, and then about 400 mg (accurately weighed) was selected and placed into a flask with 10 ml of 60% methanol (v/v). The extraction was carried out in an ultrasonic water bath at 80 °C for 4 hours. The resulting extract was centrifuged at 3000 rpm and filtered through disposable membrane filters with pores of 0.22 μm (
Quantification of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids was performed by using different external standards. Stock solutions of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoid standards were prepared at 1 mg/ml after dissolving in DMSO and methanol, respectively. For quantification of hydroxycinnamic acids, four mass concentrations (1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 mg/ml) were prepared separately for chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, trans-ferulic acid, syringic acid, sinapic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid. They were then mixed to make a final concentration of 1, 0.5, 0.25, or 0.125 mg/ml. Likewise, four concentrations (1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 mg/ml) of flavonoid standards such as kaempferol, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, naringin, luteolin, rhamnetin, quercetin, rutin were prepared separately. They were then mixed to obtain a final concentration of 1, 0.5, 0.25, or 0.125 mg/ml for all standards. Then 10 µl of the sample was analyzed in the HPLC-DAD system.
Limits of quantification (LOQ) and limits of detection (LOD) were calculated for each sample in triplicates (
A standard curve was constructed for each external standard by plotting the concentration of the standard (mg/ml) against the peak area at a specific wavelength. All external standards and samples gave almost linear calibration curves through zero points.
Method linearity was calculated by plotting peak area ratio (A) vs. analyte concentration (C in mg/ml) to obtain calibration curves (
Linearity testing was repeated with the same samples after a complete restart of the system with removal and re-installation of the column. Repeatability precision was determined by five-fold injection of the same sample in a row in a day. For the resulting relative peak area the relative standard deviation (RSD) was calculated. To determine intra-day precision, three standard preparations of each reference standard with the same concentration were single injected and the resulting relative peak areas were used to calculate the RSD. Inter-day precision for the day of sample preparation and the two following days was specified by injecting three standard samples of each CRS solution once each on all three days. RSD values for all retention times ranged from 0.44–1.68.
Linearity was performed by injecting a series of standard solutions of each сhemical reference substances (50–300 µg/mL). As can be seen in Table
Compound | Correlation coefficient R2 | Recovery, % | Limit of detection LOD, µg/ml | Limit of quantification LOQ, µg/ml |
---|---|---|---|---|
luteolin | 0.999 | 95.18 | 1.71 | 5.19 |
quercetin | 0.997 | 90.08 | 0.39 | 1.20 |
rutin | 0.998 | 93.98 | 1.02 | 3.10 |
kaempferol | 0.999 | 90.53 | 0.21 | 0.65 |
kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside | 0.998 | 91.02 | 0.44 | 1.36 |
naringin | 0.999 | 96.87 | 1.60 | 4.86 |
rhamnetin | 0.999 | 90.63 | 0.67 | 2.05 |
chlorogenic acid | 0.998 | 92.14 | 1.33 | 4.04 |
caffeic acid | 0.997 | 94.42 | 1.15 | 3.48 |
sinapic acid | 0.999 | 90.26 | 0.15 | 0.48 |
syringic acid | 0.998 | 94.45 | 0.38 | 1.16 |
trans-ferulic acid | 0.999 | 90.63 | 0.75 | 2.28 |
trans-cinnamic acid | 0.998 | 99.98 | 1.06 | 3.21 |
The reverse phase HPLC-DAD analysis of the Aster novi-belgii L. herb shows the presence of some phenolic compounds (Table
Results of HPLC-DAD analysis of phenolic compounds in Aster novi-belgii L.
No. | Retention time | Common name of identified compound | Quantitative content of phenols, µg/g |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 9.61 | chlorogenic acid | 15069.21 ±0.34 |
2 | 10.65 | caffeic acid | 262.22 ±0.12 |
3 | 12.33 | syringic acid | 88.23 ±0.11 |
4 | 14.69 | trans-ferulic acid | 20.37 ±0.09 |
5 | 15.93 | sinapic acid | 949.95 ±0.22 |
6 | 18.41 | trans-cinnamic acid | 24.74 ±0.11 |
7 | 22.82 | rutin | 727.79 ±0.23 |
8 | 25.82 | kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside | 8989.79 ±0.31 |
9 | 26.84 | naringin | 2092.02 ±0.26 |
10 | 33.03 | quercetin | 822.34 ±0.18 |
11 | 37.19 | luteolin | 787.91 ±0.15 |
12 | 43.15 | rhamnetin | 377.93 ±0.11 |
13 | 47.03 | kaempferol | 493.10 ±0.17 |
The quantitative content of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids as determined by the HPLC method in Aster novi-belgii raw material is presented in Table
Among hydroxycinnamic acids also the most abundant was sinapic acid (949.95 µg/mg). Sinapic acid is common in the plant world (vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, and medicinal plants) and as such is common in the human diet. Sinapic acid shows antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activity. 4-Vinylsyringol (a decarboxylation product of sinapic acid) is a potent antioxidative agent which suppresses carcinogenesis and the induction of inflammatory cytokines (
Flavonoids are an important group of secondary metabolites and a source of bioactive compounds in plants (
As omnipresent constituents of most medicinal plants, polyphenols have been the subject of endless studies describing a variety of health effects like cardiovascular protectors, an antioxidant, and antitumor effects. The present describes the investigation of particular members of the two most prominent classes of polyphenols, namely flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in the herb of Aster novi-belgii L. The HPLC-DAD assay of phenols revealed that Aster novi-belgii represents important sources of bioactive compounds with a wide range of pharmacological activities. The quantitative detection showed that the main hydroxycinnamic acids chlorogenic acids and sinapic acids. Regarding flavonoids, the largest amounts were kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside and naringin. The obtained results will be useful in the development of quality control methods for Aster novi-belgii herb and the manufacture of drug preparations on its basis.