Pharmacological evaluation of Cosmos sulphureus Cav.

Plants are sources of potential bioactive compounds, in this context plants in the Asteraceae Family have been reported to contain a broad diversity of phenolic compounds, mostly flavonoids, which have a wide range of pharmacological activities. Edible flowers from Cosmos sulphureus Cav. have been used in some world regions due to its potential biological activities such as antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti- inflammatory activities [1]. Current work aimed to determine the phytochemical content of C. sulphureus and evaluate its pharmacological activity by in vitro and ex vivo models.

A hydroalcoholic extract (HE-Cs) from inflorescences was obtained by maceration. n-Hexane (Hxn), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) fractions were obtained by a liquid-liquid extraction from HE-Cs. Extract and fractions were evaluated in vitro for α-glucosidases inhibition, and vasorelaxant effect in an ex vivo model using isolated rat aortic rings precontracted with noradrenaline with and without endothelium. In vitro α-glucosidases inhibition assay showed significant inhibition for EtOAc (41±0.6%) and BuOH (76.6±1.03%) fractions contrasted with Camelia sinensis (96.3±1.22%), a well characterised plant extract inhibitor of intestinal α-glucosidase enzymes.

As a result of the ex vivo evaluations, the EtOAc-Cs (E_max=91.40%; EC₅₀=130.88 µg/mL) fractions showed the best vasorelaxant effect in a partially endothelium dependent manner ([Fig. 1]). LC-MS chromatogram and mass spectrum analysis from EtOAc-Cs allowed us to tentatively identify apigenin, quercetin and chlorogenic acid. These results partially support the valuable potential attributed to C. sulphureus.

Fig. 1 The ex vivo vasorelaxant effect of the EtOAc-Cs extract of C. sulphureus inflorescences

 

MissingLinkText

• References

• 1 Andrushchenko Olena. The content of flavonoids in Cosmos sulphureus. Plant Introduction 2021; 83-88

Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023