Phenolic compounds from Achillea millefolium L. and their bioactivity

• Authors: Sara Vitalini , Giangiacomo Beretta , Marcello Iriti , Simone Orsenigo , Nicoletta Basilico , Stefano Dall'Acqua , Maria Iorizzi , Gelsomina Fico
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Since antiquity, Achillea millefolium L. (Asteraceae) has been used in traditional medicine of several cultures, from Europe to Asia. Its richness in bioactive compounds contributes to a wide range of medicinal properties. In this study, we assessed A. millefolium methanolic extract and its isolated components for free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-pycrilhydrazyl, total antioxidant capacity (based on the reduction of Cu++ to Cu+), and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation. The activity against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum was also tested. Chlorogenic acid, its derivatives and some flavonoids isolated by semipreparative HPLC and identified by NMR and spectrometric techniques were the major bioactive constituents of the methanolic extract. The latter exhibited significant antioxidant properties, as well as its flavonol glycosides and chlorogenic acids. With regard to the antiplasmodial activity, apigenin 7-glucoside was the most effective compound, followed by luteolin 7-glucoside, whereas chlorogenic acids were completely inactive. On the whole, our results confirmed A. millefolium as an important source of bioactive metabolites, justifying its pharmaceutical and ethnobotanical use.

Keywords

EN

Achillea millefolium; Asteraceae; dicaffeoylquinic acids; flavonol glycosides; antioxidant power; antiplasmodial activity

• Publisher: Polish Biochemical Society
• Journal: Acta Biochimica Polonica
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 203-219

Dates

published

2011

received

2010-10-21

revised

2011-01-24

accepted

2011-03-08

(unknown)

2011-04-19

Contributors

author

Sara Vitalini

• Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

author

Giangiacomo Beretta

• Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche 'Pietro Pratesi', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

author

Marcello Iriti

• Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

author

Simone Orsenigo

• Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

author

Nicoletta Basilico

• Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica - Microbiologia - Virologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

author

Stefano Dall'Acqua

• Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy

author

Maria Iorizzi

• Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Ambiente e il Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Pesche (Isernia), Italy

author

Gelsomina Fico

• Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy

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