Phenolic compounds: antioxidant and larvicidal potential of Smilax brasiliensis Sprengel leaves

Abstract

Smilax brasiliensis is a medicinal species of the Brazilian Cerrado. The extract and fractions of this plant were analysed by LC-DAD-MS. Identified constituents included glycosylated and non-glycosylated flavonoids, especially quercetin, and phenylpropanoids, such as chlorogenic acids. The antioxidant activity was significantly more pronounced for the methanol extract and fractions than that of the commercial antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT). Maximum larvicidal activity of 85.83% was recorded in the dichloromethane fraction (LC₅₀ = 469.78 µg mL⁻¹). The methanol extract and fractions presented low toxicity to larvae of the shrimp brine Artemia salina, indicating selectivity for C. quinquefasciatus. These results contribute to the phytochemical study of S. brasiliensis. These compounds were identified for the first time in this species and encourage additional work on the isolation of compounds present in the extract and fractions of S. brasiliensis to evaluate the possibility of using them as natural sources of antioxidants, since cytotoxic effects were not demonstrated.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Antioxidant
• Smilax
• LC-DAD-MS
• flavonoids
• phenylpropanoids

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Regina Helena Potsch Andreata for the botanical identification of this plant, as well as Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei (UFSJ), Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for their support for this research.