Analysis and isolation of luteolin and luteolin 7-O-glucoside from plants of the Greek biodiversity by UHPLC-PDA analysis

Flavonoids are a group of bioactive molecules that are commonly found in numerous plants, fruits and vegetables. They have been extensively studied over the last decades, mainly due to their important pharmacological activities and their application for various diseases. Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavonoid that can be found in many medicinal plants and vegetables and possesses anti-microbial and anti- inflammatory properties among others. The aim of LuteoPaste project is to exploit Greek biodiversity for the isolation of luteolin and/or its derivatives, for the development of a formulation against periodontitis. In our previous work [1], several plants of the Greek flora (e.g., Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, Laurus nobilis) were grown and analysed for their luteolin content. Herein, we expanded our analysis with cultivated plants of interest, as well as others (e.g., Olea europea, Capsicum annuum, Cichorium intybus, Petroselinum crispum). Moreover, we demonstrated the quantitation of luteolin and luteolin 7-O-glucoside, by means of UHPLC-PDA analysis (λmax: 349 nm), in methanolic extracts of O. europea leaves and pits and S. officinalis leaves obtained by ultrasonication. Luteolin was detected in O. europea pits, whereas luteolin 7-O-glucoside in O. europea and S. officinalis leaves. Different extraction methods (e.g. soxhlet and accelerated solvent extraction) and solvents were used to define the optimum ones in terms of luteolin(s) content. In samples containing high amounts of 7-O-glucoside derivative, a UHPLC-preparative method was applied and enriched fractions of the derivative were isolated. These were identified by means of LC-DAD, LC-MS and Raman techniques.

Funding This research has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T2EDK-01627)

Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023

• References

• 1 Arampatzis AS, Droutsa E, Laskari M, Papakaloudis P, Menexes G, Dordas C, Tsalikis L, Assimopoulou AN.. Hunting Luteolin in the Greek biodiversity for the treatment of periodontal diseases. Planta Med 2022; 88: 1435