Horse chestnut extracts show beneficial effects on venous insufficiency and have many
positive pharmacological effects on the skin [1]. The principial extract and medicinal
constituent of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds is
aescin, a mixture of triterpenoid saponin glycosides. Its components include protoaescigenin
and barringtogenol C. It can be fractionated into β-aescin, an easily crystallizable
mixture and α-aescin, which is water-soluble. The aescin is a potent anti-inflammatory
principle, which also reduces capillary fragility and prevents leakage of fluids into
surrounding tissues. These saponins have also been used in shampoos, shower foams,
creams, lotions and toothpastes. One other group of secondary metabolites in the seeds
of horse chestnut is flavonoids. The work performed on flavonoids from the seeds of
Aesculus chinensis demonstrated their significant antiviral activity [2]. A. hippocastanum flavonoids were also identified but their profile and concentration were not researched
in detail [3]. Thus, the aim of our present work was to develop a fast UPLC procedure
for profiling and determination of A. hippocastanum flavonoids. The method allowed good separation during 4.5min. The particular compounds
were identified by spiking the extract with authenticated standards or by LC-ESI/MS/MS
analysis. Thirteen compounds could be identified in the profile out of which di- and
triglycosides of quercetin and kaempferol were the dominant and their acylated forms
occurred just in trace amounts. The total concentration in the seed was 0.88% of dry
matter, which was more than two times higher than in a previous evaluation (method
not reported) [3]. Considering these findings, it can be concluded that flavonoids
of horse chestnut seeds may play a significant role in overall activity of the extracts,
and should not be neglected as previously suggested [3].
References: [1] Bagchi D, Sen Ck, et al. (2003) Mutat. Res. 523–524, 87–97. [2] Wie F, Ma S-C,
et al. (2004) J. Nat. Prod. 67: 650–653. [3] Hubner G, Wray V et al. (1999) Planta
Med. 65: 636–642.
