Comparative Analysis of Bioactivities of Four Polygonum Species

Abstract

Many species of Polygonum are rich in bioactive constituents, which contribute to a wide range of medicinal properties. In this study, we assessed the scavenging activity against ABTS^{· +} and hydroxyl radicals, chelating activity against Fe²⁺, xanthine oxidase inhibition, antimicrobial activity, and total contents of phenolics and flavonoids in the extracts of leaves and stems or whole plants from four medicinal Polygonum species. Total antioxidant capacities and phenolic contents of Polygonum capitatum, Polygonum chinensis, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Polygonum multiflorum were 74.60, 53.66, 56.22, and 14.34 mmol trolox/100 g dry weight (DW), and 8.69, 4.15, 6.33, and 1.27 g gallic acid/100 g DW, respectively, significantly higher than those of five dietary vegetables, fruits and spices (spring onion, broccoli, orange, carrot, and ginger). Major bioactive constituents in the tested plant extracts were also investigated using LC-MS. They were mainly phenolic compounds, e. g., flavonoids, phenolic acids and their derivatives, tannins, stilbenes, and anthraquinones. This study shows that, in addition to their roots, the leaves and stems of P. cuspidatum and P. capitatum also exhibit potent antioxidant properties and are a potential resource of natural bioactive antioxidants.

Polygonum - Polygonaceae - antioxidant capacity - xanthine oxidase inhibition - antimicrobial activity - phenolic compounds

References

• 1 Ji Y B, He S W, Ma Y L, Li J, Yang C, Liu L L. Pharmacological action and application of anticancer traditional Chinese medicine. Heilongjiang; Heilongjiang Science Press 1999
• 2 Lin L -C, Nalawade S M, Mulabagal V, Yeh M -S, Tsay H -S. Micropropagation of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb and quantitative analysis of the anthraquinones emodin and physcion formed in in vitro propagated shoots and plants.  Biol Pharm Bull. 2003;  26 1467-71
• 3 Gao L M, Wei X M, Zheng S Z. A novel flavone from Polygonum capitatum Ham ex D. Don.  Indian J Chem B. 2001;  40 533-5
• 4 Tsai P -L, Wang J -P, Chang C -W, Kuo S -C, Chao P -DL. Constituents and bioactive principles of Polygonum chinensis.  Phytochemistry. 1998;  49 1663-6
• 5 Kim Y -S, Hwang C -S, Shin D -H. Volatile constituents from the leaves of Polygonum cuspidatum S. et Z. and their anti-bacterial activities.  Food Microbiol. 2005;  22 139-44
• 6 Li X, Matsumoto K, Murakami Y, Tezuka Y, Wu Y L, Kadota S. Neuroprotective effects of Polygonum multiflorum on nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration induced by paraquat and maneb in mice.  Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2005;  82 345-52
• 7 Cai Y Z, Luo Q, Sun M, Corke H. Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of 112 traditional Chinese medicinal plants associated with anticancer.  Life Sci. 2004;  74 2157-84
• 8 Song Y C, Huang W Y, Sun C, Wang F W, Tan R X. Characterization of graphislactone a as the antioxidant and free radical-scavenging substance from the culture of Cephalosporium sp IFB-E001, an endophytic fungus in Trachelospermum jasminoides.  Biol Pharm Bull. 2005;  28 506-9
• 9 Yamaguchi F, Ariga T, Yoshimura Y, Nakazawa H. Antioxidant and anti-glycation activity of garcinol from Garcina indica fruit rind.  J Agric Food Chem. 2000;  48 180-5
• 10 Noro T, Oda Y, Toxhio M, Ueno A, Fukushima S. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase from the flowers and buds of Daphne genkwa.  Chem Pharm Bull. 1983;  31 3984-7
• 11 National committee for clinical laboratory standards (NCCLS). Methods for dilution in antimicrobial susceptibility tests: approved standard M2-A5. Villanova; National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards 1993
• 12 Chun O K, Kim D, Lee C Y. Superoxide radical scavenging activity of the major polyphenols in fresh plums.  J Agric Food Chem. 2003;  51 8067-72
• 13 Ryu G, Ju J H, Park Y J, Ryu S Y, Choi B W, Lee B H. The radical scavenging effects of stilbene glucosides from Pologonum multiflorum.  Arch Pharm Res. 2002;  25 636-9
• 14 Nagao A, Seki M, Kobayashi H. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by flavonoids.  Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999;  63 1767-90
• 15 Surveswaran S, Cai Y Z, Corke H, Sun M. Systematic evaluation of natural phenolic antioxidants from 133 Indian medicinal plants.  Food Chem. 2007;  102 938-53
• 16 Cai Y Z, Sun M, Xing J, Luo Q, Corke H. Structure-radical scavenging activity relationships of natural phenolic compounds from traditional Chinese medicinal plants.  Life Sci. 2006;  78 2872-88
• 17 Akiyama H, Fujii K, Yamasaki O, Oono T, Iwatsuki K. Antibacterial action of several tannins against Staphylococcus aureus.  J Antimicrob Chemother. 2001;  48 487-91
• 18 Muzitano M F, Cruz E A, de Almeida A P, Da Silva S AG, Kaiser C R, Guette C. et al . Quercitrin: an antileishmanial flavonoid glycoside from Kalanchoe pinnata.  Planta Med. 2006;  72 81-3
• 19 Basu S, Ghosh A, Hazra B. Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of Ventilago madraspatana Gaertn., Rubia cordifolia Linn. and Lantana camara Linn.: isolation of emodin and physcion as active antibacterial agents.  Phytother Res. 2005;  19 888-94
• 20 Urpi-Sarda M, Jauregui O, Lamuela-Raventos R M, Jaeger W, Miksits M, Covas M I. et al . Uptake of diet resveratrol into the human low-density lipoprotein. Identification and quantification of resveratrol metabolites by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.  Anal Chem. 2005;  77 3149-55
• 21 Fuchs J, Milbradt R. Skin anti-inflammatory activity of apigenin-7-glucoside in rats.  Arzneimittelforschung. 1993;  43 370-2
• 22 Kong L D, Cai Y, Huang W W, Cheng H K, Tan R X. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by some Chinese medicinal plants used to treat gout.  J Ethnopharmacol. 2000;  73 199-207
• 23 Djeridane A, Yousfi M, Nadjemi B, Boutassouna D, Stocker P, Vidal N. Antioxidant activity of some Algerian medicinal plants extracts containing phenolic compounds.  Food Chem. 2006;  97 654-60