Planta Med 2013; 79 - PN74
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1348755

Phytochemical Analysis of an Exotic Brasilian Fruit, Spondias tuberosa, Using 2D MPLC X UHPLC/TOF/MS Monitoring

ML Zeraik 1, E Ferreira Queiroz 2, I Castro-Gamboa 1, DHS Silva 1, M Cuendet 2, JL Wolfender 2, VS Bolzani 1
  • 1NuBBE, Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), P. O. Box 355, 14800 – 900, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 2School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland

The Northeast Region of Brazil is a place known for its great variety of edible fruits, some of them being endemic, and used as food by the local population. In most cases, these fruits have only been poorly studied for their chemical constituents and biological activities. The biological screening of several fruit extracts led to the chemical investigation of the methanolic pulp extract of Umbú (Spondias tuberosa, Anacardiaceae) followed by the analysis of cancer chemopreventive and acetylcholinesterase activities. The extract presented high antioxidant activities in the DPPH (89%), ABTS (97%) and ORAC (64%) assays at 40 µg mL-1, as well as 61% inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity at the same concentration. The analytical HPLC-UV conditions were geometrically transferred to a preparative medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC-UV) by chromatographic calculations. All of the 250 MPLC fractions were monitored by UHPLC/TOF/MS. Six compounds were isolated for the first time in this plant in a single step. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by classical spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR and HR-MS. Such type of studies may lead to the development of functional foods with valuable health benefits.