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DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264485
Phytochemical profile and in vitro activities of Capsella bursa-pastoris L. extracts
Capsella bursa-pastoris (Cruciferae) leaves and roots have been used as an edible vegetable in some countries. Moreover, this species is applied in traditional medicine, as anti-bleeding, anticancer and wound-healing agents and to treat diabetes and fever. Phenolics, namely flavonoids, are well known bioactive compounds. Thus, the plant aerial parts were subjected to methanol (MeOH) and methanol:water (MeOH/H2O) extractions and five flavonoids, including free and glycosylated derivatives, were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD. The major compound found in both extracts was kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside. Cell free assays were used to evaluate the plant potentiality as radical scavenger, against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·), superoxide (O2 ·–) and nitric oxide (·NO), as well as to determine their capacity for inhibition of both lipid peroxidation and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. A dose-dependent response was observed in all assays and, in a general way, MeOH/H2O extract proved to be more efficient antioxidant and AChE inhibitor.
Acknowledgements: Clara Grosso thanks the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for the Post-Doc fellowship (SFRH/BPD/63922/2009)