Global Journal of Cardiology

ISSN 3428-1576

Global Journal of Cardiology Vol. 5 (3), pp. 001-014, March 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cell protective antioxidants from the root bark of Lannea velutina A. Rich., a Malian medicinal plant

Ababacar Maiga1,2, Karl Egil Malterud1, Gro H. Mathisen3, Ragnhild E. Paulsen3, Jane Thomas-Oates4, Ed Bergström4, Leon Reubsaet5, Drissa Diallo2 and Berit Smestad Paulsen1*

1Section Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Norway

2Department of Traditional Medicine, Bamako, Mali.

3Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Norway.

4Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, United Kingdom.

5Section Pharmaceutical Analysis, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo,

Norway

Accepted 20 May, 2020

Abstract

Antioxidants (radical scavengers and 15-lipoxygenase inhibitors) in semipolar extracts of root bark from the Malian medicinal plant Lannea velutina have been investigated. A series of proanthocyanidins with degree of polymerization from 2 to more than 12 have been isolated, in addition to the monomeric substance, catechin. The major constituents have a degree of polymerization of ten or more. Most structures are proposed to be derived from a common biosynthetic route in which catechin is introduced as the terminal unit and epicatechin units are extenders. Catechin, dimeric, trimeric, decameric and dodecameric proanthocyanidins have been assayed as scavengers of the stable free radical diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and as inhibitors of the peroxidizing enzyme 15-lipoxygenase. All of them were shown to be effective radical scavengers (50% radical scavenging at concentrations of 5-7 microgram/mL) and 15- lipoxygenase inhibitors (50% inhibition at 10 - 18 microgram/mL). When epicatechin and trimeric proanthocyanidin were tested as antioxidants in cells, they gave a significant reduction in endogenously produced reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Key words: Lannea velutina, Anacardiaceae, medicinal plant, antioxidant, radical scavenging, 15-lipoxygenase, proanthocyanidins, electrospray mass spectrometry.