Isolation of tyrosine derived phenolics and their possible beneficial role in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of Tithonia tubaeformis

Abstract

The methanolic extract of aerial parts of Tithonia tubaeformis showed significant antioxidant activity in DPPH assay. It was subjected to bioassay guided fractionation affording more active ethyl acetate fraction which on further purification led to the isolation and identification of a series of bioactive phenolic compounds having important biosynthetic relationship. Of these, 4-hydroxyphenethyl henicosanoate (tithonoid) is a new compound. Moreover, in the carrageenan induced paw edema test, significant attenuation of inflammation was also produced by the extract at 50-200 mg/kg. The structures of all the constituents were determined through spectroscopic methods. It is the first systematic biological and chemical investigation on T. tubaeformis, which showed that phenolics may play an important role in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the plant, probably through synergism.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• biosynthesis
• tithonia
• tyrosol esters
• synergism

Acknowledgement

Nawaz N thanks the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Pakistan for providing spectroscopic facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.