nothofagin and orientin

Aspalathin and nothofagin, the major dihydrochalcones in rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), are valuable bioactive compounds, but their bioactivity has not been fully elucidated. Isolation of these compounds using high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC), a gentle, support-free, up-scalable technique, offers an alternative to synthesis for obtaining sufficient amounts. An HPLC-DAD method was adapted to allow rapid (16 min from injection to injection) quantification of the four major compounds (aspalathin, nothofagin, isoorientin, orientin) during development of the isolation protocol. The traditional shake-flask method, used to determine distribution constants (K(D)) for target compounds, was also adapted to obtain higher repeatability. Green rooibos leaves with a high aspalathin and nothofagin content were selected as source material. Sample loading of the polyphenol-enriched extract was limited due to constituents with emulsifying properties, but could be increased by removing ethanol-insoluble matter. Furthermore, problems with degradation of aspalathin during HPCCC separation and further processing could be limited by acidifying the HPCCC solvent system. Aspalathin was shown to be fairly stable at pH 3 (91% remaining after 29 h) compared to pH 7 (45% remaining after 29 h). Aspalathin and nothofagin with high purities (99% and 100%, respectively) were obtained from HPCCC fractions after semi-preparative HPLC.

Topics: Aspalathus; Chalcones; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Countercurrent Distribution; Flavonoids; Glucosides; Luteolin; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Polyphenols; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

The anti-peroxyl radical quality of two aqueous rooibos infusions and solutions of their most abundant glycosylated polyphenols was evaluated using pyrogallol red and fluorescein-based oxygen radical absorbance ratios. It was observed that the artificial infusions, prepared using only the most abundant polyphenols present in rooibos and at concentrations similar to those found in the natural infusions, showed greater antioxidant quality than the latter infusions, reaching values close to those reported for tea infusions. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of the natural and artificial infusions was assessed against three species of bacteria: Gram (+) Staphylococus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram (-) Escherichia coli. When compared to the natural infusions the artificial beverages did not demonstrate any bacterostatic/cidal activity, suggesting that the antibacterial activity of rooibos is related to compounds other than the glycosylated polyphenols employed in our study.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Apigenin; Aspalathus; Beverages; Chalcones; Escherichia coli; Flavonoids; Free Radical Scavengers; Glucosides; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Peroxides; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols; Quercetin; Rutin; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus epidermidis