HPLC Fingerprint of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activities of Viscum album from Different Host Trees

Abstract

Viscum album L. is a medicinal plants used for many years as a remedy in the traditional medicine and in complementary cancer therapies. We investigated the influence of some host trees: Acer campestre (VAA), Fraxinus excelsior (VAF), Populus nigra (VAP), Malus domestica (VAM), and Robinia pseudoacacia (VAR), on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of leaves and stems from V. album, as well the influence of the solvent (water and ethanol) used for extraction on biological activity. HPLC with photodiode array detector analysis of bioactive compounds from leaves and stems of mistletoes (V. album) hosted by five differents trees was performed. Antioxidant activities, determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), (Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) methods were compared with the quantification of total phenolics using the Folin -Ciocalteu reagent. V. album hosted by Fraxinus excelsior (VAF), recorded the highest level of total phenolic acids (108.64 μg/g dry matter) while the mistletoe hosted by Malus domestica (VAM) had the lowest level of total polyphenols (39.37 μg/g dry matter). In general, higher antioxidant activity was detected in the alcoholic than in the aqueous extracts. The values obtained for total phenolics in both, aqueous and ethanol extracts, decreased in the order: VAR > VAF > VAP > VAA > VAM. The mistletoe stem extracts contained lower levels of phenolics, as compared to leaves, in both solvents. Our results suggest that mistletoe extracts possess significant antioxidant activities that may be due to their bioactive compounds content, suggesting that this plant may be an important source of natural products with chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities.