Chromatographic and Spectrophotometric Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Fruits of Libidibia ferrea Martius

Magda R A Ferreira; Mônica T M Fernandes; Wliana A V da Silva; Isabelle C F Bezerra; Tatiane P de Souza; Maria F Pimentel; Luiz A L Soares

doi:10.4103/0973-1296.182165

Chromatographic and Spectrophotometric Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Fruits of Libidibia ferrea Martius

Pharmacogn Mag. 2016 May;12(Suppl 2):S285-91. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.182165. Epub 2016 May 11.

Authors

Magda R A Ferreira¹, Mônica T M Fernandes², Wliana A V da Silva², Isabelle C F Bezerra³, Tatiane P de Souza⁴, Maria F Pimentel⁵, Luiz A L Soares⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
³ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Therapeutic Innovation, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Drugs and Foods, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Therapeutic Innovation, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz (Fabaceae) is a tree which is native to Brazil, widely known as "Jucá," where its herbal derivatives are used in folk medicine with several therapeutic properties. The constituents, which have already been described in the fruit, are mainly hydrolysable tannins (gallic acid [GA] and ellagic acid [EA]).

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the phenolic variability in the fruit of L. ferrea by ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) and chromatographic methods (high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]/high-performance thin layer chromatography [HPTLC]).

Materials and methods: Several samples were collected from different regions of Brazil and the qualitative (fingerprints by HPTLC and HPLC) and quantitative analysis (UV/VIS and HPLC) of polyphenols were performed.

Results: The HPTLC and HPLC profiles allowed separation and identification of both major analytical markers: EA and GA. The chemical profiles were similar in a number of spots or peaks for the samples, but some differences could be observed in the intensity or area of the analytical markers for HPTLC or HPLC, respectively. Regarding the quantitative analysis, the polyphenolic content by UV/VIS ranged from 13.99 to 37.86 g% expressed as GA or from 10.75 to 29.09 g% expressed as EA. The contents of EA and GA by liquid chromatography-reversed phase (LC-RP) method ranged from 0.57 to 2.68 g% and from 0.54 to 3.23 g%, respectively.

Conclusion: The chemical profiles obtained by HPTLC or HPLC, as well as the quantitative analysis by spectrophotometry or LC-RP method, were suitable for discrimination of each herbal sample and can be used as tools for the comparative analysis of the fruits from L. ferrea.

Summary: The polyphenols of fruits of Libidibia ferrea can be quantified by UV/VIS and HPLCThe HPLC method was able to detect the gallic and ellagic acids in several samples of fruits of Libidibia ferreaThe phenolic profiles of fruits from Libidibia ferrea by HPTLC and HPLC were reproductible. Abbreviations used: HPTLC: high performance thin layer chromatography, HPLC: high performance liquid chromatography, UV-Vis: spectrophotometry.

Keywords: Libidibia ferrea; high-performance liquid chromatography; high-performance thin layer chromatography; phenolics compounds; spectrophotometry.