ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Phytochemical profiles and antioxidant capacity of the crude extracts, aqueous- and saponin-enriched butanol fractions of Helicteres hirsuta Lour. leaves and stems

Hong Ngoc Thuy Pham, Q. V. Vuong, Michael C. Bowyer, and Christopher J. Scarlett

University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, Australia

E-mail: hongngocthuy.pham@uon.edu.au

Abstract: This study aimed to compare phytochemical profiles and antioxidant capacity of various extracts including crude extracts, aqueous- and saponin-enriched butanol fractions prepared from the stems and leaves of Helicteres hirsuta Lour. The results revealed that all the three powdered extracts from the leaves and the stems possessed high levels of phenolics (177.07–241.03 mg GAE g⁻¹), flavonoids (158.03–280.06 mg CE g⁻¹) and saponins (165.77–1035.33 mg ESE g⁻¹) and exhibited strong antioxidant capacity. HPLC analysis identified nine major compounds in the leaf powder crude extract; however, the leaf aqueous fraction had three extra compounds; whereas, the saponin-enriched butanol leaf fraction had seven extra compounds. For the stems, twelve main compounds were evident in either the powdered crude extract or the aqueous fraction, and five new compounds were revealed in the saponin-enriched butanol fraction. The findings revealed that the powdered aqueous fractions and saponin-enriched butanol fractions are potential sources of biologically active compounds for further investigation and industrial utilisation.

Keywords: Helicteres hirsuta Lour.; Phytochemical profiles; Phenolics; Flavonoids; Saponins; Antioxidant capacity

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-017-0216-6

Chemical Papers 71 (11) 2233–2242 (2017)