FLAVONOIDS FROM THE BUDS OF THE HORSE CHESTNUT (AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM L.)

Abstract

The buds of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Hippocastanaceae family) is a new promising species of medicinal plant raw material. The prospect of studying the buds of this plant is due to the content of flavonoids in them, which have a wide range of pharmacological effects. Flavonoids are interesting for their capillary-strengthening action, which allows them to be used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. This fact is consistent with the practice of using drugs from other organs of horse chestnut (seeds, leaves) as venotonic and angioprotective drugs. In addition, flavonoids are also characterized by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The actuality of the study of horse chestnut buds as a new type of medicinal plant material is also supported by the need to develop of the new effective and safe drugs based on the raw materials of this plant. The aim of this study was to determine the flavonoid composition of the buds of Aesulus hippocastanum. In the course of the work from the buds of horse chestnut by the method of column chromatography on silica gel L 100/160 was for the first time there were isolated and characterized using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, UV spectroscopy and mass spectrometry the flavonoid compounds rhamnocitrin (7-O-methylkaempferol), and accompanying 7,4′-dimethylkaempferol. The dominant and diagnostic significant flavonoid for the horse chestnut buds is rhamnocitrin. The results indicate the prospects for further study of the buds of the horse chestnut as a new type of medicinal plant raw materials.