Extração, composição química e avaliação das atividades de inibição enzimática e antimicrobiana de Leonurus sibiricus L.

Abstract

In this study, methanolic and acid methanolic extracts were prepared from the aerial parts of Leonurus sibiricus L. and six secondary metabolites were isolated: the triterpene squalene (28), the labdane-type diterpenoid leojaponin (29), the phytosterols β-sitosterol (30) and β-sitosterol glycosylated (32), the bis phthalate (2-ethylhexyl) (31) and the alkaloid leunurina (1), which are unprecedented in this species with the exception of alkaloid 1. These isolated compounds were tested to determine their antimicrobial activity and enzyme inhibition against to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and proliloligopeptidase (POP) enzymes. The obtained results indicated moderate antimicrobial potential of the tested samples. The leojaponin diterpene (29) showed better results in the POP inhibition assay, with 72%. Regarding the assay of AChE enzyme, the metabolites tested demonstrated inhibition potential with percentages between 10-17%. Furthermore, in order to evaluate different methods of obtaining the methanolic and acid methanolic extracts, a serie of L. sibiricus extracts were prepared to compare yields, chromatographic profile and biological activities thereof. According to the observed results, the highest yield was obtained by hot extraction using reflux method and MeOH/HCl 1% as an extraction solvent (EB q-MeOH +, 21% yield). All acid extracts showed greater potential for enzyme inhibition, with the highest percentage obtained for the extracts from extraction assisted by ultrasound EB CHII-MeOH+ and CHI-MeOH+ (sonoreator like cup horn) and EB USII-MeOH+ (ultrasonic bath), with 91, 80 and 84% inhibition of POP enzyme, respectively. Considering the AChE, the highest percentages of inhibition were also obtained with extracts prepared by ultrasound technology (EB USI-MeOH and USI-MeOH+ with 34 and 38% of AChE inhibition, respectively). Moreover, it was carried out the extraction of essential oil from the fresh aerial parts of L. sibiricus to determine their chemical composition and biological activity. Three main constituents of the oil were identified: trans-caryophyllene (31.7%), α-humulene (18.53%) and γ-muuruleno (19.12%). The oil did not show satisfactory results for its biological activity in all performed tests.