Variation in flavonoid and antioxidant activities of Pyrrosia petiolosa (Christ) Ching from different geographic origins

Jianhua Chen; Shan Ning; Xuan Lu; Wei Xiang; Xiao Zhou; Yuanyuan Bu; Liangbo Li; Rongshao Huang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1173489

Variation in flavonoid and antioxidant activities of Pyrrosia petiolosa (Christ) Ching from different geographic origins

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Apr 14:14:1173489. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1173489. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jianhua Chen^{1

2}, Shan Ning³, Xuan Lu², Wei Xiang⁴, Xiao Zhou¹, Yuanyuan Bu¹, Liangbo Li^{1

2}, Rongshao Huang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ College of Pharmacy, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China.
² Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ethnic Medicine Resources, Education Department of Guangxi, Nanning, China.
³ Guangxi Institute of Chinese Medicine & Pharmaceutical Science, Nanning, China.
⁴ College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Hunan, China.

Abstract

Pyrrosia petiolosa (Christ) Ching has both medicinal and health benefits in China. The potential antioxidant activities of P. petiolosa, which are mainly attributed to its flavonoids, have attracted much attention in recent years. The present study aimed to determine the concentration of flavonoid components and evaluate the relative antioxidant activities of P. petiolosa from different geographic origins using a UPLC-MRM-MS-based metabolomics approach. In total, 97 flavonoid components were identified, and their concentrations in the samples from different geographic locations showed significant variation. Thirteen flavonoid components were identified as potential biomarkers for distinguishing between the two major regions, Guizhou (GZ) and Guangxi (GX). The GZ group showed higher total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging activities, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. The well positive correlations were found between the antioxidant capacities and some flavonoid markers. The ecogeographic factors, namely altitude and longitude, play a crucial role in the difference of antioxidant activities and flavonoids concentration. These results indicate that P. petiolosa is rich in flavonoid compounds and is a promising source of natural antioxidants, providing a basis for the quality control of P. petiolosa.

Keywords: Pyrrosia petiolosa; UPLC-MRM/MS; antioxidant activity; flavonoids; metabolomics.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32160085) and the Inheritance and Innovation Team of Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine (Grant No. 2022B005).