phytochemical investigation of Caccinia macranthera and Rindera lanata

Abstract

Introduction: Plants of genus Caccinia and Rindera have been used in different cultures as traditional medicines.Scope: Due to the importance of medicinal properties of family Boraginaceae and limited studies on the phytochemistry of Caccinia macranthera and Rindera lanata, these plants were selected for phytochemical analysis along with evaluation of its biological properties.Methods and materials: Different parts of plants were used to extract essential oils and extracts. Fractionation and separation of extracts using HPLC, PTLC and columns led to the purification of compounds. Antibacterial, antioxidant, allelopathic activities and phenol and flavonoid contents of plant extracts and essential oils were investigated. Enzymatic interaction of identified compounds with molecular docking technique was performed against some phytotoxic enzymes.Results: Monoterpenes and oxygenated hydrocarbons were the main components of essential oils. The ethyl acetate phase of ethanol extracts of both plants had the maximum antioxidant activity and the highest phenolic and flavonoid content. Extracts and essential oils established the maximum zone of inhibition against S. epidermidis. Isolation of the compounds in different extracts of two plants led to the identification of 14 compounds, which included two triterpenoids, β-sitosterol and daucosterol, and 12 aglycone and sugar-linked flavonoids, among which compound (1) was reported as a new compound. Furthermore, the essential oils demonstrated the most allelopathic activity against Cuscuta campestris seed growth. Molecular docking revealed that flavonoids, as lead compounds, have a high potential against enzymes involved in the phytotoxic process.Conclusion: The current phytochemical study on C. macranthera and R. lanata demonstrated the presence of terpenoid and flavonoid compounds. Our findings indicate the existence of antibacterial, antioxidant and allelochemical compounds in both plants, which are their bioactive compounds.