Antioxidant Activity in Some In vitro Oxidative Systems of the Essential Oils from the Fruit and the Leaves ofPlatycladus orientalis

Chemometrics of the composition and antioxidant capacity of essential oils obtained from six Cupressaceae taxa

Essential oils (EOs) are complex and susceptible to environmental conditions, they have a wide range of biological activities and are often used to differentiate between similar species. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with chemometric analysis was applied to systematically analyse and evaluate EOs constituents and antioxidant activity of six Chinese Cupressaceae taxa (Platycladus orientalis Franco, P. orientalis Franco 'Sieboldii', P. orientalis Franco 'Aurea', Juniperus chinensis Roxb., J. chinensis Roxb. 'Kaizuca', and J. sabina L.) under identical conditions. The antioxidant activity of the EOs was evaluated using 2,2 -diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing power (FRAP), and the total phenolic content (TPC) of the EOs was determined by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent. In total, seventy individual constituents were identified with the main components being α-pinene, sabinene, D-limonene, bornyl acetate, δ-3-carene and β-myrcene. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) successfully discriminated the six taxa into three chemotypes and the unique chemotype revealed that J. chinensis 'Kaizuca' may be a species rather than a cultivar of J. chinensis. The results of OPLS-DA analysis showed that the three compounds screened, namely, α-pinene, sabinene, and δ-3-carene, can completely distinguish Platycladus spp. from Juniperus spp. The DPPH assay results ranged from 576.14 (J. chinensis 'Kaizuca') to 1146.12 (J. sabina) μmol eq Trolox/mL EO, while the ABTS values ranged from 1579.62 (P. orientalis 'Aurea') to 5071.82 (J. sabina) μmol eq Trolox/mL. In the FRAP assay, the values ranged from 1086.50 (J. chinensis 'Kaizuca') to 1191.18 (J. sabina) μmol eq Trolox/ml and the TPC of the EOs studied ranged from 15.17 (J. chinensis 'Kaizuca') to 39.37 (J. sabina) mg GAE/mL EO. The results consistently showed that J. sabina possessed the strongest antioxidant activity and can be preferentially used as a rich source of potentially natural antioxidants.

Chemical profiling and quantitation of bioactive compounds in Platycladi Cacumen by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and UPLC-DAD

Platycladi Cacumen (PC) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of hemorrhages, cough, asthma and hair loss. To get a better understanding of the chemical constituents in PC, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and diagnostic ion filtering strategy were firstly employed for chemical profiling of PC. A total of 43 compounds including organic acids and derivatives, flavonoids as well as phenylpropanolds were unambiguously or reasonably identified. Coumarin and lignan were reported for the first time in PC. Chemical variation of 39 batches of PC from different geographical origins and 10 batches of processed product of PC was subsequently investigated by quantitation of nine major flavonoids. The results determined by UPLC coupled with diode array detection (UPLC-DAD) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated that the contents of flavonoids in PC samples differ greatly. This work provides an efficient approach to comprehensively evaluate the quality of PC.

Platycladus orientalis leaves: a systemic review on botany, phytochemistry and pharmacology

Platycladus orientalis leaves (Cebaiye) have been used for thousands of years as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). According to the theory of TCM, they are categorized as a blood-cooling and hematostatic herb. In clinical practice, they were usually prescribed with heat-clearing herbs to reinforce the efficacy of hemostasis. The review provides the up-to-date information from 1980 to present that is available on the botany, processing research, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of the leaves. The information is collected from scientific journals, books, theses and reports via library and electronic search (Google Scholar, Pubmed and CNKI). Through literature reports, we can find that the leaves show a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, disinsection, anticancer, diuretic, hair growth-promoting, neuroprotective and antifibrotic activities. Diterpene and flavonoids would be active constituents in P. orientalis leaves. Many studies have provided evidence for various traditional uses. However, there is a great need for additional studies to elucidate the mechanism of blood-cooling and hematostatic activity of the leaves. Therefore, the present review on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and toxicity has provided preliminary information for further studies of this herb.

Chemical analysis and biological activities of Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis essential oils

CONTEXT

Safe and effective antioxidants are regarded as a cornerstone for the prevention and treatment of several types of disorders.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-glycation properties of branchlet and fruit oils of Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mill.) Gord. (Cupressaceae).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Essential oils were extracted from the branchlets and fruits of C. sempervirens var. horizontalis using the steam distillation method. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was employed for the compositional analysis of essential oils. In order to evaluate antioxidant activities of oils at different concentrations (180, 220 and 260 μg mL(-1)), linoleic acid peroxidation test and peroxyl radical mediated hemolysis of red blood cells (RBC) assay were used. Linoleic acid peroxidation was monitored for 4 h and determined during each hour of incubation. Antiglycation effects of oils at 200, 400 and 600 μg mL(-1) were assessed using hemoglobin and insulin glycation assays.

RESULTS

Overall, 10 volatile components were identified, amounting for 88.2 and 93.2% of branchlet and fruit oils, respectively. α-Pinene and δ-3-carene were major components of both branchlet (46.2 and 22.7%) and fruit (59.2 and 14.9%) oils. Hemoglobin glycation was inhibited by both branchlet (44.8, 62.6 and 54.0% at 200, 400 and 600 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (41.0, 62.8 and 48.5%) oils. As for the insulin glycation, inhibitory rates were 66.1, 69.2 and 73.8% for branchlet oil, and 80.0, 76.9 and 81.5% for fruit oil (at 200, 400 and 600 μg mL(-1), respectively). RBC hemolysis was also inhibited by both branchlet (49.9, 38.5 and 15.0% at 180, 220 and 260 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (45.9, 38.6 and 25.0%) oil. Finally, the oils mitigated linoleic acid peroxidation which was peaked after 4 h for both branchlet (39.5, 35.6 and 53.4% at 180, 220 and 260 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (47.5, 58.6 and 59.8%) oil.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that essential oils obtained from the branchlets and fruits of C. sempervirens var. horizontalis possess antioxidant and, in particular, antiglycation properties. These activities may find implication in the prevention of diabetic and cardiovascular complications. However, further investigations are required to justify the traditional medical applications of the plant.