Planta Med 2013; 79 - PJ54
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1352258

Flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids from Solanum paniculatum L. (Solanaceae)

AR da Silva 1, GR de Souza 1, NS Barbi 2, FR Paumgarten 3, AA de Oliveira 3
  • 1Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Nucleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941902, Brazil
  • 2Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Faculty of Pharmacy Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941902, Brazil
  • 3Fundação Instituto Osvaldo Cruz Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041210, Brazil

Solanum paniculatum, is a shrub up to 3 feet tall, with short, curved spines and its fruits are greenish-white containing numerous lenticular seeds. Their roots, stems, leaves and fruits are used in folk medicine as well as in culinary.1 It was formerly included in Brazilian Pharmacopoea, but was removed from newer editions. In 2006, Brazilian Ministry of Health published a list, comprising 71 species, including S. paniculatum to guide research, aiming at the expansion of the number of herbal medicines available for basic pharmaceutical care in Brazil. The positive results found when water extracts of S. paniculatum were tested for their antiulcer and gastric activities validate folk use of S. paniculatum against gastric disorders.2 Recent reports3 support the use of S. paniculatum preparations for hepatoprotection. Our report focus on the results of the phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate partition, obtained from the water extract of leaves of S. paniculatum. Chlorogenic acid was found as the main compound in the extract, together with di- and tricaffeoylquinic acids. Four flavonoids were also identified: isoquercetrin, a hexoside of kaempferol and two glycosides of quercetin. The presence of caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids may be associated to the reported hepatoprotective activity of S. paniculatum extracts. We are now evaluating the potential antioxidant properties of ethyl acetate partition extracts of S. paniculatum and its in vivo hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity.

Acknowledgements: CNPq, FAPERJ and CAPES

References:

[1] Mors, W.B.; Rizzini, C.T.; Pereira, N.A. Medicinal Plants of Brazil, Ed. Robert A. DeFilipps, Reference Publications Inc., 2000.

[2] Mesia-Vela, S.; Santos, M.T.; Souccar, C.; Lima-Landman, M.T. and Lapa A.J., Phytomedicine 9:508 – 14 (2002).

[3] S.M. Sabir, S.M. and Rocha, J.B.T. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 120: 226 – 232 (2008)