Chemical Evaluation of Liquidambar styraciflua L. Fruits Extracts and Their Potential as Anticancer Drugs

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-01, Vol.28 (1), p.360
• Main Authors: Pozzobon, Rafaela G, Rutckeviski, Renata, Carlotto, Juliane, Schneider, Vanessa S, Cordeiro, Lucimara M C, Mancarz, Graziele Francine Franco, Souza, Lauro M de, Mello, Rosiane Guetter, Smiderle, Fhernanda Ribeiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; antitumoral activity; Arabinogalactan; Carbohydrates; Chemical composition; Colorimetry; Cytotoxicity; Diarrhea; Dysentery; Enzymes; Esterification; Ethanol; Fruit; Fruits; Gallic acid; Gas chromatography; Herbal medicine; Liquidambar - chemistry; Liquidambar styraciflua; Metabolites; Molecular weight; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Polyphenols; Polysaccharides; Prostate cancer; Saccharides; Waterborne diseases
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010360

Liquidambar styraciflua L. is an aromatic species, popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and skin sores. The present study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and biological potential of extracts obtained from the fruits of this plant. For the chemical evaluation, it was used mainly liquid and gas chromatography, plus NMR, and colorimetric methods. The aqueous extract (EA) originated two other fractions: an aqueous (P-EA) and an ethanolic (S-EA). The three extracts were composed of proteins, phenolic compounds, and carbohydrates in different proportions. The analyses showed that the polysaccharide extract (P-EA) contained pectic polysaccharides, such as acetylated and methyl esterified homogalacturonans together with arabinogalactan, while the fraction S-EA presented phenolic acids and terpenes such as gallic acid, protocathecuic acid, liquidambaric acid, combretastatin, and atractyloside A. EA, P-EA, and S-EA showed antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 4.64 µg/mL, 16.45 µg/mL, and 3.67 µg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity followed the sequence S-EA > EA > P-EA, demonstrating that the toxic compounds were separated from the non-toxic ones by ethanol precipitation. While the fraction S-EA is very toxic to any cell line, the fraction P-EA is a promising candidate for studies against cancer due to its high toxicity to tumoral cells and low toxicity to normal cells.