Phytochemical profiling, antioxidant, and phytotoxic potentials of Erythrina speciosa Andrews leaves

Abstract

In order to enhance the chemical and biological understanding of the genus Erythrina, this study evaluated the chemical composition, phytotoxicity, and antioxidant potential of the hexane (Hex), dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) phases from the methanolic extract of E. speciosaleaves. The DCM and EtOAc phases exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical reduction percentages exceeding 90%. Phytotoxicity tests revealed the phytotoxic potential of the DCM and EtOAc phases, inhibiting the growth of L. sativa seedlings by more than 40% and 30%, respectively, at concentrations of 1000 ppm and 500 ppm. Phytochemical analysis revealed a high total phenolic content in the DCM and EtOAc phases, where flavonoids such as apigenin, abyssinone II, wighteone, sigmoidin I, orientanol E, vitexin, and quercitrin were detected through techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), and thin layer chromatography (TLC). These compounds may be associated with the observed antioxidant potential and the inhibitory effects observed on L. sativa. However, further research on the isolated effects of these metabolites is warranted.

Full text

Ci. e Nat., Santa Maria, v. 46, e86537, 2024 • https://doi.org/10.5902/2179460X86537
Submissão: 31/01/2024 • Aprovação: 14/03/2024 • Publicação: 17/09/2024
Article published by Ciência e Natura under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
ISSN 2179-460X
Chemical
Phytochemical proling, antioxidant, and phytotoxic
potentials of Erythrina speciosa Andrews leaves
Perl toquímico, potencial antioxidante e totóxico das folhas de
Erythrina speciosa Andrews
Alda Ernestina dos SantosI,Naomi Kato SimasII , Ricardo Machado KusterIII
I Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Ciências e Linguagens, Bambuí, MG, Brasil
II Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Farmácia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
III Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Química, Vitória, ES, Brasil
ABSTRACT
In order to enhance the chemical and biological understanding of the genus Erythrina, this study
evaluated the chemical composition, phytotoxicity, and antioxidant potential of the hexane (Hex),
dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) phases from the methanolic extract of E. speciosa
leaves. The DCM and EtOAc phases exhibited signicant antioxidant activity, with DPPH radical reduction
percentages exceeding 90%. Phytotoxicity tests revealed the phytotoxic potential of the DCM and
EtOAc phases, inhibiting the growth of L. sativa seedlings by more than 40% and 30%, respectively, at
concentrations of 1000 ppm and 500 ppm. Phytochemical analysis revealed a high total phenolic content
in the DCM and EtOAc phases, where avonoids such as apigenin, abyssinone II, wighteone, sigmoidin
I, orientanol E, vitexin, and quercitrin were detected through techniques such as high-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), and thin layer
chromatography (TLC). These compounds may be associated with the observed antioxidant potential
and the inhibitory eects observed on L. sativa. However, further research on the isolated eects of
these metabolites is warranted.
Keywords: Erythrina; Phytochemistry; Flavonoids; Phytotoxicity; Antioxidant activity
RESUMO
Visando aprimorar o conhecimento químico e biológico do gênero Erythrina, neste estudo avaliou-
se a composição química, a totoxicidade e o potencial antioxidante das frações hexânica (Hex),
diclorometano (DCM) e acetato de etila (EtOAc) do extrato metanólico das folhas de E. speciosa. As
frações DCM e EtOAc exibiram atividade antioxidante signicativa, com percentuais de redução do
radical DPPH superiores a 90%. Os testes de totoxicidade revelaram o potencial totóxico das frações
DCM e EtOAc, que nas concentrações de 1000 ppm e 500 ppm inibiram o crescimento de mudas de
L. sativa em mais de 40% e 30%, respectivamente. A análise toquímica revelou um elevado teor de

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fenóis totais para as frações DCM e EtOAc, nas quais foram detectados os avonoides apigenina,
abyssinona II, wighteona, sigmoidina I, orientanol E, vitexina e quercitrina. Esses compostos podem
estar relacionados ao potencial antioxidante e aos efeitos totóxicos observados sobre L. sativa. No
entanto, são necessários estudos futuros avaliando o efeito isolado desses metabólitos.
Palavras-chave: Erythrina; Fitoquímica; Flavonoides; Fitotoxicidade; Atividade antioxidante
1 INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants have been used for centuries to treat various ailments based on
their diverse biological activities, including antioxidant, cytotoxic, antibacterial (Viana et
al., 2022) and antitumoral (Viana et al., 2023). Their therapeutic properties are derived
from a diverse array of specialized metabolites evolved as part of plant defense or
adaptation strategies. These bioactive compounds include phenolics, terpenes and
alkaloids and that exhibit potent pharmacological activities. However, the complex
phytochemistry poses challenges in fully characterizing plants’ pharmacological potential.
With growing interest in natural products research and plant-based drug
discovery, medicinal plants present an important source of leads for drug development
and the optimization of extraction methods, particularly solvent selection, is crucial
to recover bioactives and enable discovery of lead compounds (Viana et al., 2022a).
Proper selection of extracting solvent based on a plant’s known phytochemistry and
desired applications is imperative for medicinal plant research. This enhances recovery
of bioactive compounds and leads to more reproducible results.
The Erythrina genus (Fabaceae) holds signicant medicinal value with a
history of popular use since ancient times (Gilbert and Favoretto, 2012). Therefore,
species of this genus play a crucial role in folk medicine across dierent countries,
where they are used to treat a wide range of diseases, including infections (Wintola
et al., 2021), malaria (Dkhil et al., 2020), inammations (Thomgmee and Itharat,
2016), asthma (Amorim et al., 2018), bronchitis (Almeida, 1993), and depression
(Martins and Brijesh, 2020). The medicinal properties of Erythrina species are
commonly associated with the presence of alkaloids and avonoids, metabolites

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widely distributed in the genus (El-Masry et al., 2010).
Although sedative and calming activities are the most commonly reported
for Erythrina (Garín-Aguiar et al., 2000; Rosa et al., 2012; Fahmy et al., 2018; Martins
and Brijesh, 2020), the literature highlights a broad spectrum of biological eects for
species of this genus. These encompass anti-inammatory properties (Bhagyasri et al.,
2017), antimicrobial eects (Mohanta et al., 2017; Sadgrove et al., 2020; Ahmed et al.,
2020), cytotoxic (Mohanta et al., 2017; Ahmed et al., 2020) and antioxidant potentials
(Mohanta et al., 2017; Bedane et al., 2016), antitumor activity (Passreiter et al., 2015)
and enzyme inhibition (Santos et al., 2012; Hikita et al., 2015).
The genus Erythrina encompasses more than 100 species, which due to the
striking beauty of their inorescences are cultivated as ornamentals in various regions
worldwide (Martins, 2014). These plants are predominantly found in tropical and
subtropical regions (Vasconcelos et al., 2013). In Brazil, there are reports of around
11 species of Erythrina, distributed across biomes such as the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado,
Caatinga, and Amazon (Lima and Martins, 2015).
Erythrina speciosa Andrews is a native and endemic Brazilian specie, found in the
Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest, with geographic distribution in states on Northeast,
Midwest, Southeast, and South regions of the country (Lollato et al., 2010). Despite its
recognized medicinal potential, this specie is particularly renowned for its ornamental
use. This is especially evident in the state of São Paulo, where E. speciosa is the specie
of Erythrina most used in urban ornamentation (Martins, 2014).
From a phytochemical perspective, E. speciosa remains relatively unexplored, as
there is a lack of studies evaluating the foliar avonoids of this species. To contribute to
the phytochemical and biological knowledge of the genus Erythrina, this study aimed to
assess the phytochemical prole of the E. speciosa Andrews leaves. We also determined
the total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of the dierent fractions from the
methanolic extract from the leaves. Finally, was evaluated the phytotoxicity of extracts
as its impact on germination and early development of Lactuca sativa.

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2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Chemicals
Menadione (PubChem CID: 4055), quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343), gallic acid
(PubChem CID: 370), polyethylene glycol (PEG; PubChem CID: 481110092) and DPPH
(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; PubChem CID: 15911) were purchased from Sigma-
Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Silica gel 60 F254 (20x20 cm) chromatoplates and dimethyl
sulfoxide (DMSO: 99%; PubChem CID: 679) from purchased from Merck (Germany).
NP reagent (2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate; PubChem CID: 1598) and Folin-Ciocalteau
reagent (sodium 3,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydronaphthalene-1-sulfonate; PubChem CID: 10636)
were purchased from Spectrum Chemical (New Brunswick, NJ, USA). The solvents
acetic acid, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, hexane, methanol, and phosphoric acid
were obtained from Tedia (Faireld, OH, USA).
2.2 Phytochemical study
2.2.1 Plant material
E. speciosa leaves were collected in a rural area of Silva Jardim, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. The botanical identication of the collected sample was performed by profª
Dra. Cássia Sakuragui and a voucher specimen was deposited in the Herbarium of the
Botany Department of the Biology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, under
the number 39498.
2.2.2 Plant extraction
The fresh leaves (1300 g) of E. speciosa were dried in a hot air oven at 40 ± 1°C for
48 h. The dried leaves (1130 g) were then powdered and extracted exhaustively with
methanol (MeOH) for 7 days. Thereafter, the crude methanolic extract was ltered
through a Whatman paper (WHA1440150; Sigma-Aldrich) and evaporated to dryness

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under reduced pressure at a temperature below 45 °C in a Pemer rotatory evaporator
coupled to a Cole Parmer vacuum pump, model 7049-50, resulting in 83 g of crude
extract. Finally, the crude extract (45 g) was dissolved in a hydroalcoholic solution
(MeOH-H2O, 9:1) and subjected to partitioning with solvents in an increasing polarity
gradient, using hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate (Santos et al., 2014),
resulting in the respective phases: Hex (6.6 g), DCM (10.5 g) and EtOAc (4.3 g).
2.2.3 TLC and HPLC-DAD analysis
The Hex, DCM, and EtOAc phases were analyzed by Thin Layer Chromatography
(TLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode Array Detector
(HPLC-DAD). The TLC analyses were performed using silica gel 60 F254 chromatoplates
eluted with an eluent system composed of EtOAc:MeOH:H2O:AcOH (80:10:5:5, v/v) and
revealed with the NP reagent and PEG.
In HPLC-DAD analysis, phenolic compounds were determined using a Shimadzu
CBM-10A system chromatograph attached to an SPD-M10A ultraviolet photodiode
beam detector. A 250 mm x 5 mm, 5 µm, Lichrosorb RP-18 (Phenomenex) column was
chosen for chromatographic analysis. The eluents H2O:H3PO4 (99:1, v/v) (solvent A) and
MeOH:H3PO4 (99:1, v/v) (solvent B) were used in gradient mode at a ow rate of 1 mL/
min. The composition of B was increased from 50% to 100% in 40 minutes. UV spectra
were taken at 254 and 365 nm.
2.2.4 ESI-MS/MS analysis
The DCM and EtOAc phases were examined by Electrospray Ionization Mass
Spectrometry (ESI-MS) using a methodology applied to avonoid analysis. ESI-MS
analyses were performed on a high-resolution Bruker micrOTOF II spectrometer
operating in the negative ionization mode for a mass range of m/z 100-1500. Samples
were analyzed by direct insertion into the ionization source of the spectrometer,
operating with nebulizer gas pressure at 0.6 bar, capillary voltage at 4.0 kV, and capillary

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temperature transfer at 180 °C.
The spectra obtained were processed using Bruker Compass Data Analysis 4.0
software. The elemental composition of the substances detected was determined
based on the m/z values of the pseudomolecular ions. The m/z value and the suggested
molecular formulas were used in the search for the probable structures in the literature
and avonoids database. The fragmentation of the main pseudomolecular ions of each
metabolite was analyzed to conrm the compatibility between the detected substance
and the substance suggested by the literature.
2.2.5 Total phenolic content determination
The Folin-Ciocalteau method adapted for microplates was employed to assess
the Total Phenolic Content (TPC) of the Hex, DCM, and EtOAc phases from E. speciosa
leaves. For this purpose, 100 µL of sample and 100 µL of MeOH were mixed in a tube.
Then 100 μL of Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and 700 μL of 20% sodium carbonate solution
were added. The reaction occurred for 20 minutes in the dark at room temperature.
Following this, the samples underwent centrifugation for 5 minutes, and an aliquot
of 250 μL was transferred to each well of the microplate. The absorbance was read
at 760 nm using an automatic ELISA microplate reader (Molecular Devices). The TPC
of the extracts was expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalent/g extract (Kenny et al.,
2013), and calculated based on the calibration curve equation obtained with gallic acid
solutions at varying concentrations (10 mg/L-200 mg/L).
2.3 Antioxidant potential evaluation
The in vitro antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined using the
DPPH (1,1-diphenyl2-picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging method (Chatatikun and
Chiabchalard, 2013). Therefore, 50 µL of DPPH solution (0.3 mM) was mixed with
175 µL of extract prepared at dierent concentrations (5 mg/L-500 mg/L). Following
incubation in complete darkness for 30 minutes, the absorbance was measured at

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517 nm. The experiment was replicated three times, and the antioxidant potential
was expressed by EC50, the antioxidant concentration necessary to reduce the original
amount of DPPH radicals by 50%. Quercetin served as the positive control.
2.4 Phytotoxicity evaluation
The phytotoxicity of the Hex, DCM, and EtOAc phases on L. sativa (lettuce) was
assessed according to Baratelli et al. (2012). The evaluation considered two primary
parameters: seed germination and seedling development, based on hypocotyl and
root growth. The experiments were conducted in triplicate.
L. sativa seeds were chosen as model seedlings due to their rapid germination,
uniformity, and sensitivity (Tigre et al., 2012), making them an ideal target specie for
preliminary tests of substances or extracts with potential for use in weed control.
To assess the impact of L. sativa seed germination, the extracts were tested at
dierent concentrations (125-1000 ppm). Each sample was dissolved in MeOH, and
500 μL of the solution was applied in a Petri dish (diameter = 6.0 cm; height = 1.5
cm) containing a lter paper disc. A methanolic solution of menadione at 143 ppm
served as a positive control. After allowing the organic solvent to evaporate at room
temperature for 24 hours, 2.5 mL of a 0.1% DMSO aqueous solution and 10 seeds of
L. sativa were added to each plate. The Petri dishes were then placed in a germination
chamber (model 708 NT; Novatecnica) at 25 ± 2 °C with a photoperiod of 12 hours for
5 days. Subsequently, the length of the seedlings’ roots and hypocotyls was measured
using a digital caliper (King Tools). The growth parameters were calculated as the
mean percentage dierence compared to the negative control (0.1% DMSO aqueous
solution) treatments using the following Formula:
negative control (0.1% DMSO aqueous solution) treatments using the
following Formula:
󰇛󰇜

 (1)
2.5 Statistical analysis

(1)

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2.5 Statistical analysis
The obtained data were submitted to statistical analysis using the GraphPad
Prism version 5.0 (GraphPad Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA), with mean comparisons performed
using the Tukey test. Dierences were considered signicant when p<0.05. Results
were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD) of three independent and parallel
measurements.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Phytochemical prole
Preliminary TLC analysis revealed the presence of avonoids only in the DCM
and EtOAc phases, which were submitted to HPLC-DAD and ESI-MS/MS analyses for
chemical characterization.
HPLC-DAD and ESI-MS/MS analyses indicated a signicant similarity in the
chemical prole of the DCM and EtOAc phases, where avonoids from dierent classes
were detected as aglycones and/or glycosides. Table 1 illustrates that the detected
chemical classes of avonoids include avones, avanones, avonols, isoavones,
and isoavanones. Detected compounds were tentatively identied based on mass
fragmentation data compared to those already reported in the literature. Seven
avonoids were successfully characterized.
The ion with [M – H]– at m/z 269 is consistent with the aglycone of an isoavone or
a avone. The mass spectrum of this ion revealed characteristic signals of the isomers
apigenin and genistein, both avonoids previously described for the genus Erythrina.
The m/z 161 fragment results from the 0.4B-type fragmentation of the avonoid C ring.
This fragmentation is typical of avones and rarely observed for isoavones, whose
characteristic fragmentations in negative mode are 1.3B and 0.3B types. Thus, this
avonoid was tentatively identied as apigenin, a avone present in E. vogelii (Wao et

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al., 2006), E. cara (El-Masry et al., 2010) and E. falcata (Oliveira et al., 2014).
Table 1 – ESI-MS data of the detected avonoids in the DCM and EtOAc phases
Compatible avonoid Molecular
formula
[M – H]-MS/MS
m/z
Reference
apigenin bC15H10O5269.0487 251, 176, 161 Oliveira et al., (2014)
abyssinone II aC20H20O4323.1264 305, 253, 189, 173 Chacha et al., (2005)
prenyl avonoid bC20H16O5335.0936 198, 136 Juma and Majinda (2006)
wighteone bC20H18O5337.1075 319, 267, 219, 177 Djiogue et al., (2009)
sigmoidin I a,b C21H22O5353.1366 335, 283, 201 Nkengfack et al., (1994)
orientanol E aC25H28O6423.1785 405, 353, 271, 200 Tanaka et al., (1998)
vitexin/isovitexin a,b C21H20O10 431.0997 413, 341, 311 Oliveira et al., (2014)
quercitrin a,b C21H20O11 447.0958 429, 301, 151 Santos et al., (2014)
di-glycosyl avonoid a,b C26H28O14 563.1433 353, 191 Ganbaatar et al., (2015)
di-glycosyl avonoid a,b C26H28O15 579.1391 561, 447, 285 Krenn et al., (2003)
Source: Authors (2024)
a DCM phase; b EtOAc phase
The ion with [M – H]– at m/z 323 is compatible with a prenylated avonoid.
This is supported by the presence of the fragment at m/z 253 resulting from the loss
of the isoprenyl unit. Additionally, the fragment at m/z 189 results from 0.4B-type
fragmentation followed by the loss of a C3H6 unit from the isoprenyl group. The signals
observed in the spectrum are consistent with the fragmentation pattern of abyssinone
II, a avanone found in several species of Erythrina, including E. abyssinica (Nakanishi,
1982), E. latissima, (Chacha et al., 2005) e E. addisoniae (Watjen et al., 2008).
Three other prenylated avonoids were characterized: wighteone, sigmoidin I,
and orientanol E, with their [M – H]– ions observed at m/z 337, 353 and 423, respectively.
For the [M – H]– ion at m/z 337, characteristic signals of an isoavone were observed. The
signal at m/z 219 resulted from 1.3A-type fragmentation, conrming the presence of the
isoprenyl group in ring A. In turn, the fragment at m/z 177 is due to the simultaneous
elimination of the isoprenyl group and ring B, consistent with the fragmentation
pattern of the prenylated isoavone wighteone.
Wighteone, also known as Erythrinin B, is an isoavone commonly found in

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Erythrina species. Previous studies have reported the presence of this avonoid in
E. orientalis (Tanaka et al., 1998), E. arborescens (Yu et al., 2000), E. indica (Nkengfack
et al., 2001), E. lysistemon (Pillay et al., 2001), E. suberosa (Tanaka et al., 2001), E.
poeppigiana (Djiogue et al., 2009), E. addisoniae (Nguyen et al., 2010) e E. subumbrans
(Rukachaisirikul et al., 2014).
The [M – H]– ion at m/z 353 showed MS/MS fragmentation at m/z 283 and m/z 201
related to the loss of the prenyl group and 0.3B-type fragmentation with simultaneous
elimination of the methyl group, respectively, suggesting the identication of the substance
as sigmoidin I, an isoavanone found in the roots of E. sigmoidea (Nkengfack et al., 1994).
A diprenyl avonoid with [M – H]– ion at m/z 423 was detected in the DCM
phase. The signal at m/z 353 observed in the MS/MS spectrum of this ion is related
to the elimination of one of the prenyl groups. In turn, the signals at m/z 287 and m/z
271 are the result of fragmentations of 1,3A and 0,3A types, respectively, and conrm
the presence of two isoprenyl units in ring A. These signals are compatible with the
fragmentation of orientanol E, a diprenyl isoavanone found in the roots of E. orientalis
(Tanaka et al., 1998) and E. suberosa (Tanaka et al., 2001).
Finally, two monoglycosylated avonoids were observed in the DCM and EtOAc
phases. The [M – H]– ions at m/z 431 and m/z 447 correspond to a avone and a avonol,
respectively. The MS/MS spectrum of the ion at m/z 431 revealed signals consistent
with the fragmentation of vitexin or isovitexin, isomeric avones found in E. cara (El-
Masry et al., 2010) and E. falcata (Oliveira et al., 2014). The signal at m/z 341 arises from
the 0.2X-type fragmentation of a hexose. The absence of a signal at m/z 268 conrms
that the avonoid in question is a C-glycosyl avone since complete elimination of the
hexose does not occur.
The ion at m/z 447 was identied as quercetin-3-O-ramnoside (quercitrin), with
signals observed at m/z 301 and m/z 151 resulting from rhamnose elimination and
1,3B-type fragmentation, respectively. Quercitrin is a monoglycosylated avonol present
in the roots of E. mulungu (Oliveira, 2009).

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In terms of flavonoids, Erythrina exhibits great diversity, with more than
370 flavonoids reported for the genus (Chacon et al., 2022). However, Erythrina
is primarily known for producing prenylated flavonoids, which are metabolites of
limited occurrence (Cui et al., 2010), and of significant medicinal interest (Nguyen et
al., 2012; Passreiter et al., 2015; Nguyen et al., 2020). As a result, prenyl flavonoids
constitute the focus of most phytochemical studies evaluating the flavonoids of
this genus (Nyandoro et al., 2017; Tuenter et al., 2019; Koch et al., 2019). Therefore,
the characterization of flavonoids in the Erythrina genus holds significance from
both phytochemistry and taxonomical perspectives.
In the present study, it is observed that the DCM and EtOAc phases contain
similar avonoids. The most abundant group consisted of prenylated avonoids
represented by four compounds compatible with the metabolites abyssinone II,
wighteone, sigmoidin I and orientanol E, avonoids described for dierent species of
Erythrina, such as E. latissima (Chacha et al., 2005), E. poeppigiana (Djiogue et al., 2009),
E. sigmoidea (Nkengfack et al., 1997) and E. orientalis (Tanaka et al., 1998), respectively.
As a result of our study, valuable avonoids were detected in E. speciosa leaves
consistent with the literature. However, some unidentied substances have also
been detected, such as diglycosides avonoids with molecular formulas C26H28O14 and
C26H28O15. Further studies are required to characterize these metabolites.
3.2 Total phenolic content
The evaluation of phenolic content revealed a higher TPC for the DCM and
EtOAc phases, which showed no signicant dierence (p < 0.05) between them, with
values of 127.4 ± 1.2 and 119.2 ± 2.2 mg EAG/g of extract, respectively (table 2). Such
values are considerably higher than those observed for the DCM and EtOAc extracts
of E. neillii leaves (Gabr et al., 2019), whose TPC were 9.1 ± 1.2 and 9.6 ± 0.3 mg EAG/g,
respectively.
The TPC of DCM and EtOAc phases were also superior to that found by Sakat

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and Juvekar (2010) when evaluating the total phenolic content of the aqueous and the
methanolic extracts from the leaves of E. indica, for which values of 24.9 ± 0.0 and 25.6
± 0.0 mg EAG/g were observed, respectively.
Table 2 – Total phenolic content of Hex, DCM, and EtOAc phases
Phase TPC (mg EAG/g)
Hex 46.3±1.1b
DCM 127.4 ± 1.2a
EtOAc 119.2 ± 2.2a
Source: Authors (2024)
Means followed by the same letter do not dier statistically by Tukey’s test, for independent samples (p<0.05)
The Hex phase exhibited lower TPC compared to the DCM and EtOAc phases.
However, the TPC of the Hex phase from E. speciosa leaves is higher than that observed
for the DCM and EtOAc extracts of E. indica leaves (Sakat and Juvekar, 2010), as well as
the aqueous and methanolic extracts of E. neillii leaves (Gabr et al., 2019).
3.2 Antioxidant potential
According to the results presented in Table 3, all samples were active and their
CE50 could be calculated (Table 3). The DCM and EtOAc phases showed the strongest
antioxidant potential, with DPPH reduction percentages above 90% for the highest
concentration evaluated. There was no signicant dierence between the DCM and
EtOAc phases, with EC50 values of 173.1 ± 0.2 and 163.9 ± 0.4 mg/L, respectively.
The DCM and EtOAc phases of the methanolic extract from E. speciosa leaves
exhibited signicantly higher antioxidant potential compared to the aqueous extract
and methanolic extracts from E. indica leaves (Sakat and Juvekar, 2010), with EC50 values
of 342.6 ± 19.6 and 283.2 ± 12.3 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the EtOAc phase from
E. speciosa leaves demonstrated greater activity than the EtOAc extract from E. vogelii
leaves (Tauseef et al., 2013), which exhibited an EC50 > 200 mg/L by the DPPH method.

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Table 3 – Antioxidant potential of the Hex, DCM, and EtOAc phases
Phase CE50 (mg/L)
Hex 484.8 ± 0.3a
DCM 173.1 ± 0.2b
EtOAc 163.9 ± 0.4b
Source: Authors (2024)
Means followed by the same letter do not dier statistically by Tukey’s test, for independent samples (p<0.05)
Despite the signicant antioxidant potential observed for the DCM and EtOAc
phases, other extracts of Erythrina species are more active in reducing the DPPH
radical. For example, the acetone extract from the root bark of E. burttii exhibited an
EC50 = 12.0 ± 2.6 mg/L (Yenesew et al., 2012), while the methanolic extract from E.
variegata leaves showed an EC50 = 89.3 ± 1.5 mg/L (Alam et al., 2020).
Antioxidants are substances capable of minimizing or preventing the damage
caused by the oxidation of macromolecules or cellular structures, thus protecting
biological systems from harmful actions caused by free radicals (Mishra et al., 2012).
Secondary metabolites are one of the main sources of antioxidant substances, especially
avonoids (Fahmy et al., 2018; Chatatikun and Chiabchalard, 2013). Therefore, many
of the pharmacological eects observed for this class of substances are related to
their antioxidant potential resulting from their ability to scavenge free radicals, chelate
metal ions and/or act synergistically with other antioxidants (Silva et al., 2002).
The antioxidant potential of avonoids is well-known (Banjarnahor and Artanti,
2014; Wang et al., 2020), and studies evaluating the structure-activity relationship
reveal that factors such as the arrangement of functional groups around the nuclear
structure and the total number of hydroxyl groups substantially inuence the in vitro
antioxidant activity presented by avonoids (Heim et al., 2020; Moalin et al., 2011).
In this sense, the greater antioxidant potential presented by the DCM and EtOAc
phases is likely due to the avonoids present in these samples, which consist mainly
of aglycones and monoglycosides. These compounds have one or more free hydroxyl
groups, which are structural factors that contribute to the antioxidant potential of

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dos Santos, A. E., Simas, N. K., & Kuster, R. M.|14
phenolic compounds (Wang et al., 2020; Rice-Evans et al., 1996).
3.3 Phytotoxicity
The phytotoxicity results indicate that only the Hex and DCM phases exhibited
signicant inhibitory eects on the germination of L. sativa seeds, with inhibition
percentages of 13.3% and 21.1% observed at 1000 ppm, respectively (Chart 1).
Chart 1 – Eects on the germination and initial development of L. sativa
Phase Concentration
(ppm)
Germination
inhibition (%)
Hypocotyl
inhibition (%)
Root inhibition
(%)
Hex
1000 13.3 ± 0.8a10.3 ± 0.4b23.9 ± 1.8b
500 4.44 ± 0.4b4.94 ± 0.2c21.6 ± 0.5b
250 5.56 ± 1.3b0.82 ± 0.3c17.2 ± 0.9b
125 3.33 ± 0.9b0.64 ± 0.4c8.33 ± 0.8c
DCM
1000 21.1 ± 1.2a25.1 ± 1.2a47.0 ± 2.2a
500 6.67 ± 0.9b8.23 ± 1.0b36.6 ± 1.5a
250 4.44 ± 1.0b2.47± 0.9c16.7 ± 0.9b
125 3.33 ± 0.4b1.64 ± 0.5c8.87 ± 0.6c
EtOAc
1000 4.44 ± 0.9b17.7 ± 0.2a41.4 ± 2.1a
500 5.56 ± 1.2b9.05 ± 0.2b35.8 ± 1.9a
250 4.44 ± 1.0b3.29 ± 0.2c18.0 ± 0.8b
125 3.33 ± 0.9b2.46 ± 0.3c7.63 ± 1.0c
Source: Authors (2024)
Means followed by the same letter do not differ statistically by Tukey’s test, for indepen-
dent samples (p<0.05)
The data reveals a higher activity for the DCM and EtOAc phases in the initial
growth of L. sativa seedlings. The eects on root development were more pronounced
than on hypocotyl growth. At 1000 ppm, inhibition rates of 25.1% and 17.7% for
hypocotyl growth were observed for the DCM and EtOAc phases, respectively.
The root growth of the seedlings was signicantly aected by all phases evaluated,
as the treatment at 1000 ppm resulted in inhibition percentages exceeding 40%, thus
demonstrating the phytotoxic potential on the root growth of L. sativa. Such activity may
be related to the presence of allelochemical substances in the leaves of E. speciosa.

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Root growth is generally considered a better indicator of the phytotoxic eects
of plant extracts. The higher sensitivity of roots is widely reported in the literature
(Nakamura et al., 2021; Ogunsanya et al., 2022; Pinto et al., 2023). According to Alves et
al. (2022), this is due to the direct contact of the roots with the extracts, exposing them
to high concentrations of phytochemical compounds.
In a study conducted by Soares et al. (2002), evaluating the phytotoxicity of
aqueous extracts from the leaves of six legumes, including E. speciosa, on the germination
and development of L. sativa, no inhibitory eects were observed. However, treatment
with the aqueous extract of this species showed inhibitory activity on the root growth
of L. sativa. The authors attributed this activity to the presence of phenolic compounds,
as the treatment with the aqueous extract after ltering with polyvinylpyrrolidone
(PVP) to remove phenolic compounds showed no activity on seedling growth.
Garcia-Mateos et al. (2002) evaluated the impact of three alkaloids isolated
from E. americana seeds on the germination of maize (Zea mays) and common bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds, and no inhibitory eects were observed on either of the two
target species.
In another study, Gris et al. (2019), examined the phytotoxic potential of
hydroalcoholic extracts from leaves, bark, roots, and seeds of E. fusca on L. sativa.
They found that leaves exhibited greater activity, which was attributed to the presence
of C-glycosylated avonoids detected in the extract. Treatment with E. fusca leaf
extract signicantly inhibited seed germination and root growth of L. sativa seedlings,
demonstrating phytotoxicity similar to that induced by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
(2,4-D), used as a positive control.
The allelochemicals inhibit and alter the growth or developmental patterns
of plants, through selective action (Merino et al., 2018). There is a wide variety of
allelochemicals, including avonoids. These metabolites exert an inhibitory eect on
the germination and growth of various plant species (Weston and Mathesius, 2013). In
the literature, several studies demonstrate the phytotoxic potential of dierent classes of

Ci. e Nat., Santa Maria, v. 46, e86537, 2024
dos Santos, A. E., Simas, N. K., & Kuster, R. M.|16
avonoids, including avones, avanones (Napal and Palacios, 2013), avonols (Imatomi
et al., 2013), avan-3-ols (Nebo et al., 2014), and isoavonoids (Shajib et al., 2012).
The phytotoxic potential of avonoids is widely recognized, impacting seed
germination and root growth of dierent seedlings (Weston and Mathesius, 2013;
Bertoldi et al., 2009; Hooper et al., 2010; Mierziak et al., 2014; Gris et al., 2019).
Considering the predominance of avonoids in the DCM and EtOAc phases, these
compounds are likely responsible for the observed phytotoxic eects on L. sativa.
4 CONCLUSIONS
This study characterized the phytochemical prole and investigated the
antioxidant and phytotoxic potential of E. speciosa leaves. A total of seven avonoids
were characterized, including apigenin, abyssinone II, wighteone, sigmoidin I, orientanol
E, vitexin and quercitrin.
The phytotoxic eect was primarily characterized by the inhibition of root
development. However, Hex and DCM phases also aected the germination of L.
sativa seeds. Currently, inhibiting seed germination and seedling growth is a signicant
way to assess the eectiveness of compounds with the potential to be used in weed
control. Given the phytotoxicity exhibited by the leaves of E. speciosa, further must
be conducted to purify and elucidate the metabolites responsible for the phytotoxic
eect, which could contribute to a better understanding of the biological potential of
the genus Erythrina and provide environmentally friendly weed management.
Although the genus Erythrina has been extensively studied, many species of
this genus still lack scientic research, including E. speciosa, which remains relatively
unexplored, particularly regarding its phytochemical and biological potential. In the
present study, a total of seven avonoids from the leaves of E. speciosa were characterized,
and the antioxidant and phytotoxic potential of this specie was conrmed.
Given the ornamental and medicinal signicance of E. speciosa, this study
contributes to a better understanding of the phytochemistry and biological properties

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Phytochemical proling, antioxidant, and phytotoxic...
17|
of an underexplored Erythrina species. Finally, the chemical diversity displayed by
E. speciosa holds signicance for understanding its traditional medicinal uses and
discovering new applications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to UFRJ, CNPq and FAPERJ for the institutional and
nancial support. We also thank teacher Cássia Sakuragui for the botanical identication
of the plant specie.
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Authorship contributions
1 – Alda Ernestina dos Santos
Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais, PhD in Natural Product Chemistry
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8086-7170 • alda.santos@ifmg.edu.br
Contribution: Writing – original draft
2 – Naomi Kato Simas
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, PhD in Natural Product Chemistry
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9929-2714 • naomisimas@yahoo.com
Contribution: Writing – review and editing
3 – Ricardo Machado Kuster
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, PhD in Natural Product Chemistry
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8961-5348 • kusterrm@gmail.com
Contribution: Supervision, writing – review and editing
How to quote this article
dos Santos, A. E., Simas, N. K., & Kuster, R. M. (2024). Perl toquímico, potencial antioxidante
e totóxico das folhas de Erythrina speciosa Andrews. Ciência e Natura, 46, e86537.