Planta Med 2011; 77 - PM159
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282917

Phenolic profile and biopotential of Plantago schwarzenbergiana Schur

I Beara 1, M Lesjak 1, D Orcic 1, N Simin 1, E Jovin 1, G Anackov 2, N Mimica Dukic 1
  • 1Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D. Obradovica 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • 2Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D. Obradovica 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Ancient use of plantains (genus Plantago L., Plantaginaceae) as herbal remedies is a consequence of their astringent, anti-toxic, antimicrobial, expectorant and diuretic properties. Plantago schwarzenbergiana Schur. is distributed in the Balkan Peninsula, but there is no data about biological activity of this species. In order to valorize medicinal use of P. schwarzenbergiana, some tests on antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of methanolic extract of this plantain, collected from area of Vojvodina (Serbia) have been undertaken. The extract has been characterized regarding phenolics composition by LC-MS/MS, where the contents of apigenin (5.08±0.1mg/g of d. e.), p-hydroxybenzoic (0.63±0.03mg/g of d. e.) and caffeic (0.59±0.08mg/g of d. e.) acid were the highest. The radical scavenger capacity (RSC) was evaluated towards several radicals using spectrophotometry [1] and following IC50 were found: diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (10.6±0.6µg/ml), hydroxyl (181.6±6.0µg/ml), superoxide anion (54.6±0.8µg/ml) and nitric oxide radical (2.0±0.3mg/ml), inhibition of lipid peroxidation (34.0±1.2µg/ml), indicating comparable or higher extract activity than activity of synthetic antioxidants as BHT or BHA (butylated hydroxytoluene/hydroxyanisol). Anti-inflammatory activity was examined by means of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and 12-lipooxygenase (12-LOX) inhibition, quantifying the COX-1 product 12-HHT (12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid) and 12-LOX product 12-HETE (12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoate) by RP-HPLC-MS/MS [2]. Extract inhibited both COX-1 and 12-LOX (IC50=5.8±0.4 and 4.0±0.2mg/mL, respectively).

In this study, we report for the first time about phenolic profile, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of P. schwarzenbergiana, and accordingly consider this species as a promising source of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Keywords: Plantago schwarzenbergiana, Antioxidant activity, Anti-inflammatory activity, Phenolic profile, LC-MS/MS

Acknowledgement: Autonomous Province of Vojvodina – Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development, Grant No. 114–451–1991/2011–01.

References: 1. Beara I et al. (2009)J Agric Food Chem 57: 9268–9273.

2. Beara I et al. (2010)J Pharm Biomed Anal 52: 701–706.