Metabolomic profiling and anti-infective potential of Zinnia elegans and Gazania rigens (Family Asteraceae)

Abstract

The present study evaluates the chemical composition of Zinnia elegans and Gazania rigens based on their metabolomic profiles using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC‐HR-MS), alongside with the anti-infective activities of their ethanol extracts, as well as, different fractions. A significant difference was observed between the LC-MS profiles of the two plants such as, coumarins, sesquiterpene lactones and phenylethanoids which were characteristic for Z. elegans, while amides and phenolic acid derivatives were characteristic for G. rigens. These results highlight the chemical potential of Z. elegans and G. rigens. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate fraction of Z. elegans showed a significant antimalarial activity with IC₅₀ values of 21.03 and 13.72 µg/mL against Plasmodium falciparum D₆ and P. falciparum W₂, respectively.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Zinnia elegans
• Gazania rigens
• metabolomics
• LC‐MS
• anti-infective

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Maria Lesch, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biological Plant Sciences, University of Würzburg, Germany for her help in LC-MS measurement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.