Taraxacum officinale – sursă promiţătoare de acid clorogenic

Abstract

Abstract Background: It is believed that a diet rich in antioxidants plays a dominant role in preventing lot of diseases in particularly, the consumption of products rich in natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols. These components possess the ability to destroy harmful free radicals that are capable of attacking the healthy cells, causing them to lose their structure and function. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), the ester of caffeic acid with quinic acid refers to a related polyphenol family of compounds. It exhibits activities in extensive biological profiles such as DNA protection, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic effects. This compound has been extensively investigated in neurodegenerative diseases because of its anti-inflammatory activity, which is attributed to microglia activation and antioxidant brain activity. It was extracted from a wide variety of foods or beverages, including fruits and vegetables. Medicinal plants are an important source of chemical compounds with varied biological activities, including antioxidant properties. One of such plants, with multidirectional health effects is Dandelion or Taraxacum officinale. It contains a wide range of phytochemicals with specific biological activities: sesquiterpene lactones possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, triterpenes show a strong anti-altherosclerotic effect, phenolic acids exhibit strong antioxidant and immunostimulatory properties, coumarins demonstrate antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticoagulant effect and flavonoids which display an antioxidant activity. The aim of present research was to establish the amount of CGA in ethanolic extracts of Taraxacum officinale leaves. Material and methods: this experiment was conducted with extracts prepared from Dandelion’s (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg) leaves, using ethanol of 20%, 50% and 80% as the extraction solvent. High performance liquid chromatography method with diode-array UV detection (Agilent 1260) was used to establish the amount of CGA (mg/g). Results: The total content of CGA in Dandelion’s leaves was equal to 0,842 mg/g. In case of ethanolic extracts of 20%, this compound constitutes 0,440 mg/g. The highest amount of clorogenic acid was determined in ethanolic extracts of 50% (0,602 mg/g). The lowest amount of CGA established in extracts of 80% (0,175 mg/g). Conclusions: Taraxacum officinale represents a promising source of clorogenic acid, which highest amount could be established in ethanolic extracts of 50%. Dandelion produce many biological active substancies, but a complex research which could evaluate their combined actione on different metabolic pathways of human body lacks, fact which support the necessity of studies extension.