LC-MS/MS Analysis and Biological Activities of Hypericum androsaemum L. Leaves and Fruits Extracts

Abstract

The genus Hypericum (Hypericaceae) is represented by 465 species all over the world and 100 taxa in Turkey(1). Hypericum androsaemum L. has traditionally been used for diuretic, antihepatotoxic, cholagogue, nephroprotective in Western Europe, and treatment of stomachache and gall bladder in Turkey. Six extracts; dichloromethane, methanol, water extracts of leaves (HD, HM, HW) and dichloromethane, methanol, water extracts of mature fruit (FD, FM, FW) were prepared. Chemical composition of the extracts was identified by LC-MS/MS. HD has hederagenin, FD has herniarin, HM has (-) epicatechin, FM has (-)epigallocatechin gallate, FW has caffeic acid, and HW has caffeic acid as major compounds according to the LC-MS/MS analysis. HM has the highest total phenolic content with 108.51±1.28 µg pyrocatechol equivalent/mg extract, and HD has the highest total flavonoid content with 86.74±2.29 µg quercetin equivalent/mg extract. HM showed strong antioxidant activity in DPPH free and ABTS cation radical scavenging assays with IC50:10.94±0.08 and 9.09±05 µg/mL values, respectively, and better than α-tocopherol used as standard. HM demonstrated significant cupric reducing antioxidant power (2.576±0.095 absorbance value at 100 µg/mL concentration) and metal chelating activity (IC50:96.56±1.29 µg/mL). FW showed better activity among the all extract in metal chelating activity with IC50:77.61±0.79 µg/mL value. FM and HD were more effective than standard cefuroxime on Staphylococcus epidermidis in antimicrobial assay; their MIC values were 1.22 and 4.88 µg/mL, respectively. Only HM showed weak antiacetylcholinesterase activity with 21.26±0.82 % ihibition in all extracts. Same extract showed strong butyrylcholinesterase activity better than galanthamine used as standard with 87.90±0.50 % ihibition. HD demonstrated the best activity against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme with 89.13±1.49 % ihibition at 200 µg/mL concentration. HD showed stronger anti-urease activity than the other extracts with 0.029±0.018 mg/mL IC50 value. FM showed strongest cytotoxic activity on PC-3 human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line with 7.57 mg/mL IC50 value. As a conclusion, H. androsaemum can be one of the promising medicinal plants to use for several treatments after further studies.