Planta Med 2014; 80 - P1L115
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394772

Antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds from Nymphoides indica; the first comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological study

A Amin 1, A Upadhyay 1, M Zafar 2, P Cos 3, L Maes 3, S Apers 1, V Exarchou 1, L Pieters 1
  • 1Laboratory of Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
  • 2Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • 3Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), Departments of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1,2610, Antwerp, Belgium

Nymphoides indica (L.) Kuntze (Menyanthaceae) is traditionally used in many ethnomedicinal formulations in Asia [1]; however, scientific data reporting its constituents are poor. N. indica leaves were macerated with methanol 90% and subsequently extracted using various solvents. After successful extraction, each fraction was evaluated for various claimed bioactivities such as antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antiglycation activity. The microorganism used included S. aureus, E. coli, C. albicans, M. canis and MRC-5 cells. The methanol 90% fraction showed notable cytotoxic properties (IC50 38.9 µg/mL). Antifungal and antibacterial activities were observed for the methanol 90% (IC50 32 µg/mL) and n-hexane (IC50 19.15 µg/mL) fractions respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction was found to present the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 147 µg/mL) followed by methanol 90% (IC50 211 µg/mL) and chloroform (IC50 380 µg/mL) fractions. The n-butanol fraction had the highest (IC50 32 µg/mL) anti-glycation (Advanced Glycation Endproducts, AGEs) activity, followed by the chloroform (IC50 64 µg/mL), ethyl acetate (IC50 69 µg/mL) and methanol 90% (IC50 86 µg/mL) fractions. All extracts were further fractionated using repeated flash chromatography and analysed using TLC and HPLC-DAD. For the isolation of major compounds, a semi preparative HPLC(RP)-DAD-MS system was used. Subsequently NMR and mass spectra were recorded to elucidate the structure of the isolated compounds. Isolated compounds included flavonoids (1 – 4), seco-cyclopentane glucosides (5 – 7), caumerine (8), phenolic acids (9) and monoterpenes (10 – 11).

Fig. 1: Isolated compounds from N. indica.

References:

[1] Saharial S, Sarma CM. Ethno-medicinal studies on indigenous wetland plants in the tea garden tribes of Darrang and Udalguri district, Assam, India Ne BIO 2011; 2: 27 – 33.