Rapid profiling of phenolic compounds of green and fermented Bergenia crassifolia L. leaves by UPLC-DAD-QqQ-MS and HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS.

Bergenia crassifolia L., Saxifragaceae, is an evergreen perennial plant known in traditional medicine of Russia, Mongolia and China. Polyphenols are responsible for the number of pharmacological effects of Bergenia. UPLC-DAD-QqQ-MS and LC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS were used for the rapid profiling of phenolic compounds, mainly hydrolysable tannins. Green leaves consisted of 55% ellagitannins, 29% gallic acid derivatives and 11% flavonoids, with the remaining gallic acid, arbutin, bergenin and caffeoyl quinic acid. In fermented leaves, 31% of gallic acid was found, followed with 28% ellagitannins, 18% gallic acid derivatives and 18% flavonoids, with the remaining caffeoyl quinic acid, bergenin and arbutin. Tellimagrandin I, pedunculagin, caffeoyl quinic acid, monogalloyl quinic acid, 1-O-galloylglucose and 1,2,6-tri-O-galloylglucose were identified for the very first time.

Characterization of volatile and semi-volatile compounds in green and fermented leaves of Bergenia crassifolia L. by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ID-CUBE direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Chemical compositions of volatile and semi-volatile components in green and fermented leaves of Bergenia crassifolia L. were studied. Leaf components were identified using gas chromatography with low resolution mass spectrometry and direct analysis in real time (DART) high resolution mass spectrometry with an ID-CUBE ion source. Phytol, nerolidol, geraniol, linalool, alpha-bisabolol, alpha-bisabololoxide B, alpha-cadinol, delta-cadinene, alpha-terpineol and several other marker compounds of special interest were defined, for which the process of fermentation significantly changed their content in the leaves. Low resolution El GC-MS and ID-CUBE DART-HRMS were found to be complementary methods, as they provide different information, helpful to increase the confidence of identification.

Effect of Bergenia crassifolia L. extracts on weight gain and feeding behavior of rats with high-caloric diet-induced obesity.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding behavior and weight gain in rats with high-calorie diet-induced obesity that are treated with Bergenia crassifolia black and fermented leaves extracts. The daily dietary intake of all treated animals was reduced to 40% compared with the control group on day 22 of the experiment. A significant improvement in glucose tolerance was noted after 7 days of treatment with the Bergenia extracts. In rats treated with an extract of black leaves for 7 days, a significant reduction in the serum triglyceride level, 45% (p<0.05), compared with the control group was observed. However, the treatment did not affect the cholesterol level. Our results provide evidence for the potential use of B. crassifolia as an appetite and energy intake suppressant.

Separation and evaluation of free radical-scavenging activity of phenol components of green, brown, and black leaves of Bergenia crassifolia by using HPTLC-DPPH* method.

A new procedure has been developed to separate and quantify the free radical-scavenging activity of individual compounds from green, brown, and black leaves of Bergenia crassifolia based on the combination of high performance TLC (HPTLC) with a diode array detector (DAD) and postchromatographic 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)) derivatization. Free gallic and ellagic acids, arbutin, hydroquinone, and bergenin in the B. crassifolia leaves' extracts were separated by HPTLC and identified. All compounds of the extract excluding bergenin were capable of scavenging DPPH * radicals. From the estimated ID(50) values, it can be seen that the increasing order of activity was gallic acid > arbutin > ellagic acid > hydroquinone > ascorbic acid. The antiradical activity of leaves of B. crassifolia is probably associated to the presence of phenol.

In vitro antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects of Drosera rotundifolia.

In investigations of the anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic effects of Drosera rotundifolia two extracts were tested in different in vitro assays. An aqueous and an ethanolic extract inhibited human neutrophil elastase, achieving IC50 values of 5 and 1 microg/mL, respectively. The very low naphthoquinone concentrations in the extracts seem not to be responsible for the effect, as the pure compounds were not effective in the test system used. Thus, flavonoids like hyperoside, quercetin and isoquercitrin, which were detected in the extracts in considerable concentrations, may contribute to the activity. These substances showed activity in the assay. Ellagic acid, detected especially in the ethanolic extract in higher amounts, was substantially less active than the flavonoids. In guinea-pig ileum the extracts led to an antispasmodic effect possibly by affecting an allosteric binding site of the muscarinic M3 receptors.