Polyphenol Profile and Quantitative Assessment of the Flavonoid Kaempferitrin in Wild and Cultivated Brazilian Amazonian Uncaria guianensis (Rubiaceae)

Abstract

The Amazonian Rubiaceae species Uncaria guianensis (UG) is locally used as antiinflammatory, antitumor, antidiabetic, anti-ulcers, and others. The phenolic content of its leaves is characterized by the great predominance of the flavonoid kaempferol-3,7-O-(α)-L-dirhamnoside (kaempferitrin). The present study quantitatively evaluates the kaempferitrin content in the leaves and branches of cultivated and wild UG specimens collected in different locations of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest by employing high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Besides, the understanding of the polyphenol profile performed by electron spray ionization is deepened by tandem mass spectrometry analysis (ESI-MS/MS), using a previously approached leaf UG extract, and the flavonoid quercetin-3,7-O-(α)-L-dirhamnoside was first isolated from UG. All samples showed quite similar qualitative polyphenol profiles. Kaempferitrin in UG ranged from 1.1 to 1.9 mg 100 mg-1 for dry leaves of adult wild plants, 0.3 to 0.7 mg 100 mg-1 for dry leaves of cultivated young plants and 0.00 to 0.04 mg 100 mg-1 for dry branches of adult wild plants. Besides suggesting the distribution of kaempferitrin in the species, these results reinforce this flavonol as a suitable chemical marker for UG leaves and the products derived from them.