Profiling the Phytochemicals of Orostachys margaritifolia: Biological Activities, LC-ESI/MS, and HPLC Analyses

Abstract

Orostachys margaritifolia Y. N. Lee (OMY) is an endemic Korean plant in the family Crassulaceae that is known to contain a variety of bioactive compounds. To assess the physiological activities of an OMY ethanol extract, ABTS+ and DPPH radical scavenging assays and a nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay were conducted. The phytochemical makeup of the extract was profiled via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC/PDA). The OMY extract was found to have weaker ABTS+ and DPPH radical scavenging activities than the control group (green tea). In the NO inhibition assay, the OMY extract induced a significant increase in macrophage cell viability but showed a lower NO inhibitory activity than l-NAME, producing an IC50 value of 202.6 μg/mL. The LC-ESI/MS and HPLC/PDA analyses identified isoquercitrin and astragalin in the OMY extract, quantifying their contents at 3.74 mg/g and 3.19 mg/g, respectively. The study revealed possibilities for the utilization of OMY as a future source of drugs for alleviating inflammation and diseases related to reactive oxygen species.