A Novel Flavone, LC-MS-Based Profiling, Phenol and Flavonoid Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Virola carinata

Virola is a genus well-known for its extensive uses by indigenous communities in the Amazon and the Orinoco regions in Colombia. An ethanol extract of leaves of Virola carinata, collected in the Colombian Amazon, was selected in order to be characterized based on their LC-DAD and LC-MS-based chromatographic profiles, and by its total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents, and radical-scavenging activity. Results suggested the extract is rich in polyphenols (> 330 mg eq gallic acid/g dry extract) and flavonoids (> 25 mg eq quercetin/g dry extract) as well as good antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ < 12 µg/mL). Leaves-derived extract of V. carinata was fractionated by chromatographic techniques leading to the isolation of a yellowish solid, elucidated by combining spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques indicating that its structure corresponds to a novel dimethoxyflavone-related compound. The presence of the novel dimethoxyflavone was also identified in bark and wood-derived extracts of V. carinata. Extracts were also characterized by LC-MS revealing the presence of a several flavonoid-like metabolites. Thus, further studies on V. carinata must be considered to be accomplished as an important source of botanical antioxidants.