Bioactivities of phytochemicals in Araiostegia yunnanensis (Christ)

The profile and bioactivity of phytochemicals in Araiostegia yunnanensis (Christ) Cop were investigated. The total flavonoids content in A. yunnanensis is about 84.90 mg/g. By means of HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, the main flavonoids in A. yunnanensis were tentatively identified as myricetin 3-O-rhamnosylglucoside, eriodictyol 7-O-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, luteolin-7-O-apiosylglucoside, quercetin 3-O-rhamnosylgalactoside, and luteolin 7-O-glucoside. The extract (0.268 mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis showed very strong superoxide anion radical scavenging potential and reducing power, which are higher than those of rutin (0.25 mg/ml). The extract (0.268 mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis exhibited similar DPPH scavenging activity with rutin (0.25 mg/ml). However, rutin (0.25 mg/ml) showed a significantly higher ABTS radical scavenging effect than that of the extract (0.268 mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis. The methanol extract from A. yunnanensis showed obviously cytotoxic effects on A549 cells and it had no effect against acetylcholinesterase.