Planta Med 2008; 74 - PC88
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084606

Comparative phytochemical and biological studies on Veronica cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia and V. cymbalaria

US Harput-Hudaverdi 1, FH Oztunca 2, I Saracoglu 1
  • 1Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Hacettepe University, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
  • 2Ministry of Health of Turkey, Directorate Of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy, Çankırı Street, No:57, Ulus, Ankara, 06060, Turkey

There are 79 Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) species in Turkish flora and 26 of which are endemic [1]. Different parts of Veronica species are used as diuretic, for wound healing and against rheumatic pains in Turkish folk medicine [2,3]. Earlier investigations performed on the genus, resulted in the isolation of mainly iridoid glucosides, especially benzoic and cinnamic acid esters of catalpol, some phenylethanoid and flavonoid glycosides [4,5]. The methanol extracts of V. cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia (Vcc) and V. cymbalaria (Vc) were subjected to polyamide column chromatography eluting with H2O to give iridoid fractions. Repeated column chromatographies of iridoid fractions of V.cuneifoia subsp. cuneifolia resulted in the isolation of verproside, verminoside, amphicoside, veronicoside, catalposide and catalpol. The comparison of the iridoid fractions of V. cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia and V. cymbalaria using HPLC-DAD system with 40% MeOH showed that iridoid fractions of V. cymbalaria contained veratroylcatalpol, isovanilloylcatalpol and aucubin in addition to the compounds found in iridoid fractions of V. cuneifolia subsp. cuneifolia. Both of the water extracts were found to be cytotoxic against Hep-2 (Vcc: IC50=472.25µg/ml, Vc: IC50=389µg/ml), RD (Vcc: IC50=250.44µg/ml, Vc: IC50=546.5µg/ml) and L20B (Vcc: IC50=262.7µg/ml, Vc: IC50=435.1µg/ml) cell lines according to MTT assay. Their radical scavenging activities were also shown using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical (Vcc: IC50=32.96µg/ml; Vc: IC50=µg/ml)

Acknowledgements: Activity studies were supported by Hacettepe University Research Foundation (Project No: 0302301010)

References: 1. Davis, PH. (1978) Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Vol. 6. pp. 689–753, University Press. Edinburgh.

2. Baytop, T. (1984) Therapy with Medicinal Plants in Turkey (Past and Present). pp. 376, Publications of Istanbul University. Istanbul.

3. Fujita, T. et al. (1995) Econ. Bot. 49: 406–422.

4. Harput, U.S. et al. (2003) Z. Naturforsch. 58c: 481–484.

5. Saracoglu, I. et al. (2004) Phytochemistry 65: 2379–2385.