14447-Article Text-1087854-2-10-20230718
14447-Article Text-1087854-2-10-20230718
Abstract. Sianturi GLR, Trisnawati EW, Koketsu M, Suryanti V. 2023. Chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of Britton's wild
petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) flower. Biodiversitas 24: 3665-3672. Britton's wild petunia or kencana ungu (Ruellia brittoniana), which
has purple flowers, is widely used as a decorative plant. Isolation and structure determination of the antioxidant compound of R.
brittoniana flower were carried out. Extraction was carried out by maceration, and compound isolation was conducted by column
chromatography. Structure elucidation was accomplished by FTIR, NMR, and MS Spectrometry. Apigenin (4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone)
was isolated from the B1 fraction using chloroform: methanol (10: 1) eluent. Fraction A1, obtained from elution by chloroform:
methanol (10: 0), consisted of 24 compounds. Two compounds were identified as 1-hexadecanol and 1-phenyl ethanone, which have
antioxidant properties of fraction A1. Fraction B2 was eluted by chloroform: methanol (10:1), consisting of 20 compounds. A compound
was identified as 2-methoxy phenol, contributing to the antioxidant properties of fraction B2. The total phenolic content of R.
brittoniana flower extract was 1.033 mg GAE/g, and its total anthocyanin content was 16.97%. Fractions A1 and B2 possessed strong
antioxidant activities due to their phenolic compounds. Apigenin has three -OH groups in the 4’, 5, and 7 positions; only the -OH group
at the 4’ position contributes to its antioxidant activity. Therefore, apigenin has moderate antioxidant activity by DPPH assay. The
modification structure of apigenin needs further study to enhance its antioxidant activity. This research shows that R. brittoniana flower
can be a source of apigenin, also known to have anticancer properties.
Keywords: Antioxidant activity, kencana ungu, Ruellia brittoniana, total anthocyanins content, total phenolics content
A = (A520-A700)pH1 - (A520 -A700)pH4.5 (2) was expected to exhibit good antioxidant activity. Ethyl
acetate extract of R. brittoniana flower was originally
TAC value was determined by equation (3), where A is purple colored and turned into light pink or pink when
the absorbance from eq. (2), Ɛ is 30175 M, l is the path reacted with CH3COONa and KCl buffer solution.
length (cm), Mw is the molecular weight of cyanidin-3- There are three types of anthocyanin structures:
glucoside (611 g/mol), DF is the dilution factors, V is the cyanidin, pelargonidin, and delphinidin for dark red/pink,
volume (mL), W is the weight of samples (g). bright red/orange, and blue/violet/purple, respectively
(Inggrid et al. 2016). These types of anthocyanin structures
A V can be distinguished from the number of hydroxyl groups
1 TAC= ×Mw×DF× ×100 % (3)
Ɛ×l W attached to the parent compound. The number of -OH
groups in anthocyanins indicates their potential as
antioxidants (Le et al. 2019). The distinctive purple color
Antioxidant activities assay of the R. brittoniana flower indicates the presence of
Antioxidant activity of the sample was determined by anthocyanin pigments. The total anthocyanins content
the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method (Sethi et (TAC) of ethyl acetate extract was 16.97%. The purple
al. 2020). The sample was diluted with methanol to obtain color of the R. brittoniana flower indicates that the
5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 ppm concentrations. Each sample was extracted anthocyanins were delphinidin. It is the most
added 1 mL of DPPH 0.2 mM solution and then incubated polar anthocyanin, with three phenolic hydroxy groups in
for 30 mins before being measured with the UV-Vis the B ring in the molecular structure. The ortho-
spectrophotometer at the maximum wavelength determined dihydroxyphenyl structure at the B-ring appears essential
by measuring DPPH 100 ppm solution at 800-400 nm. The for its bioactivity properties. Delphinidin has an inhibitory
same procedure was conducted for Vitamin E as a positive effect on the growth of human vulva carcinoma cell line
control. Antioxidant activities were determined by A431 in vitro, uterine carcinoma (HeLa S3 cells), and
measuring % inhibition using equation (4), where An is the colon adenocarcinoma cells (CaCo-2 cells) (Jing and Giusti
negative control's absorbance, and As is the samples' 2010).
absorbance. The IC50 was calculated by interpolation and Column chromatographic of ethyl acetate extracts
plotting the correlation between each concentration and its resulted in 8 fractions, i.e., fractions A1, A2, B1, B2, C1,
scavenging percentage. The effective concentration of each C2, C3, and D1. The weight of the B1 fraction was 0.05 g
extract, which scavenges 50% of DPPH radicals, was used of yellow powders and showed a single spot-on TLC, and
to measure the antioxidant activity, which was expressed as FT-IR, NMR, and MS Spectrophotometry determined its
the IC50 value. structure. The weight of the green powder of the A1 and B2
fractions were 0.12 and 0.03 g, respectively. TLC plates of
(4) both fractions showed many spots on TLC; therefore, they
were subjected to GC-MS analysis. Since other fractions
Data analysis were obtained very small amounts, no further analyses
The single spot eluted fraction on the TLC plate was were subjected to GC-MS analysis.
recognized as a pure compound. FTIR, NMR, and MS FT-IR spectrum of B1 fraction showed the broad peak
Spectrometry were used to identify the single spot. MS of the hydroxyl group at 3500-3300 cm-1 (Figure 2). Peaks
analysis was conducted using electron impact ionization of aromatic were found at 3030-3150 cm-1 for CH
and 50 scans. The multiple spots eluted fractions were (stretching), 1466 cm-1 for C=C (stretching) and 1605 cm-1
subjected to GC-MS analysis with column type Rtx 5 MS for C=C (bending). The carbonyl group peak was found at
30 m in length with helium gas as the carrier. The oven 1735 cm-1, and the C-O group of ester peak was found at
temperature was 70°C, and the injection temperature was 1297 cm-1 (Peng et al. 2016; Shoubaky et al. 2016).
300°C with split-less mode injection at 13.7 kPa. Total The B1 fraction was dissolved in DMSO-d6 solvent for
1
phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity of H and 13C NMR Spectroscopy analyses (Table 1 and 2).
1
samples were determined. H NMR of B1 fraction showed 8 peaks with 10 protons in
total. The peak of the -OH group as a chelate was found at
12.96 ppm. Two other broad and low-intensity peaks of the
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION -OH group were found at 10.79 and 10.3 ppm. Aromatic
peaks of -CH were found at 6.1-8.5 ppm. Three multiplet
Chemical compounds determination peaks were found at 7.2-7.5 ppm, which were
The Folin-Ciocalteu technique was used to determine characteristics of meta disubstituted aromatic. Two doublet
the total phenolic content (TPC) of ethyl acetate extract peaks were found at 6.48 and 6.16 ppm, characteristic of
(Çayan et al. 2022). The TPC of ethyl acetate extract was para disubstituted aromatic (Peng et al. 2016). 13C NMR of
3.84 mg GAE/g. Phenolic compounds possess a chemical the B1 fraction showed 13 peaks with 15 protons in total. A
structure comprising an aromatic ring with one or more characteristic peak of the carbonyl group of esters was
hydroxyl substituents. The main groups of phenolic found at 182.28 ppm. Characteristic peaks of quaternary
compounds are flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, carbon and C-O groups were found at 164.70, 164.31,
stilbenes, and lignans (Machmudah et al. 2017). Phenolic 162.00, 161.74, and 157.86 ppm. Two peaks at 129.14 and
content is responsible for bioactivity; therefore, this extract 116.55 ppm showed the integration of two carbon atoms.
3668 B I OD I V E R S ITA S 24 (7): 3665-3672, July 2023
Three aromatic CH group peaks were found at 104.33, contributes to antioxidant activities (Chen et al. 2020;
100.02, and 94.61 ppm (Peng et al. 2016). Santos and Silva 2020). The 1-hexadecanol had 0.41% of
Two-dimensional NMR, including COSY, HMQC, and the total percent area with a retention time (RT) of 50.142
HMBC, were performed to determine the correlation mins. The 1-phenyl ethenone had 0.45% of the total
between 1H NMR and 1H NMR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR percent area with an RT of 12.849 mins.
(Table 3). B1 fraction was identified as Apigenin or 4’,5,7- GC-MS analysis of the B2 fraction showed 20 peaks
trihydroxyflavone (Figure 3). Two-dimensional NMR (Figure 8). One compound was successfully identified as 2-
correlation of apigenin is shown in Figure 4. MS analysis methoxy phenol, which had a conjugate double bond and a
of the B1 fraction was performed using EI ionization hydroxyl group (Figure 9). The 2-methoxy phenol had
(Figure 5), which showed base peak of apigenin in the area 2.62% of percent total area with RT of 13.501 mins.
of m/z 270.0366 (Shoubaky et al. 2016; Dou et al. 2020).
The MS data confirmed that apigenin was the isolated Antioxidant activity
compound. Apigenin is a bioflavonoid compound The antioxidant activity (IC50) of samples was
(specifically a flavone) that is found in a wide variety of measured by the DPPH method (Table 4). Antioxidants
plants and herbs. Surprisingly, apigenin has never been scavenge DPPH radicals by donating hydrogen atoms
isolated from any genus of the Acanthaceae family. resulting in a yellow-colored non-radical state (Akter et al.
Apigenin from Tripleurospermum disciforme has been 2019). A decrease in absorbance and color change of the
isolated with a similar extraction process and similar sample solution from purple to yellow confirmed that the
characteristics of NMR data (Tofighi et al. 2015). This sample has antioxidant activity. All samples showed very
result indicated that R. brittoniana flower could be a source strong antioxidant activity except for apigenin which
of apigenin. Apigenin-rich foods are chamomile, celery, showed moderate antioxidant activity. Ethyl acetate had the
parsley, vine spinach, artichokes, and oregano (Shankar et highest antioxidant activity, followed by B2 and A1
al. 2017). fractions. Ethyl acetate extract, fractions A1 and B2 of R.
GC-MS chromatogram of A1 fraction showed 24 peaks brittoniana flower extract, possessed very strong
(Figure 6), and two compounds were identified as 1- antioxidant activities due to the synergic work of
hexadecanol and 1-phenyl ethenone or acetophenone compounds in enhancing their antioxidant activity.
(Figure 7). The 1-hexadecanol has a hydroxyl group and
the 1-phenyl ethenone has a conjugate double bond that
δ Multiplicity, integration,
Proton type
(ppm) position, and J coupling (Hz)
12.96 OH5 Chelator OH group
10.79 OH4’ OH
10.3 OH7 OH
7.91 d, 2H, H3' and H5‘, J = 8 Hz Aromatic CH
6.91 d, 2H, H2' and H6‘, J = 8 Hz Aromatic CH
6.74 s, 1H, H3 Aromatic CH
6.48 d, 1H, H6, J = 2 Hz Aromatic CH
Figure 3. Structure of Apigenin 6.16 d, 1H, H8, J = 2 Hz Aromatic CH
Apigenin possessed moderate antioxidant activity with C5-OH; hence the hydrogen atom transfer activity of C4’-
an IC50 value is 109.24 ppm. A previous study by Seyoum OH was strongest in scavenging free radicals DPPH. The -
et al. (2006) showed that apigenin also had moderate OH groups at positions 5 and 7 do not support much
antioxidant activity. The -OH groups of 3’ and 4’ positions antioxidant activity because they form intramolecular
in the B ring of flavonoids enhance its antioxidant activity. hydrogen bonds with adjacent carbonyl (Chen et al. 2022).
Apigenin has three -OH groups in the 4’, 5, and 7 positions. Therefore, apigenin only possessed moderate antioxidant
However, only the -OH group at the 4’ position contributes activity despite three -OH groups in its structure. Apigenin
to apigenin antioxidant activity. The bond dissociation is a type of flavonoid with good medicinal properties. It is
enthalpy of C4’-OH is most negligible than C7-OH and abundant in various fruits, vegetables, and medicinal
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