Chemical constituents and biological activities of Balanophora fungosa varietas globosa growing in Vietnam, as well as comparative chromatography with some species of the genus Balanophora J. R. & G. Forst

Abstract

The chemical composition and biological activities of Balanophora fungosa var. globosa (BFG) were studied for the first time. Also, the chemical composition of some other Balanophora species was established for comparison. Phenolic compounds isolariciresinol, gallic acid, pinoresinol, methyl caffeate, and epipinoresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were isolated from Balanophora fungosa var. globosa collected in Vietnam and identified by the NMR analysis. Some in vitro biological activities of the isolated compounds, including the inhibitory effect on NO production and cytotoxic effects, were evaluated. The chromatographic methods were developed to determine the chemical fingerprints of BFG and its very close taxon subsp. indica (Arn.) B. Hansen (BFI), also of the two new species recently recorded for the flora of Vietnam Balanophora tobiracola Makino (BT) and Balanophora subcupularis P.C. Tam (BS). Among the isolated compounds, isolariciresinol showed a moderate inhibitory effect on NO production (I% = 56.02 at concentration of 100 µg/mL), while gallic acid at concentration of 100 μg/mL demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma) and PC3 (human prostate gland carcinoma). The HPTLC analysis showed similarities in the chemical compositions of BFG and BFI, as well as the difference between their compositions and these of BT and BS. O-caffeoyl-O-galloyl-glucoside I, caffeic acid glucoside, O-caffeoyl-di-galloyl-β-D-glucoside V, and 1-O-caffeoyl-3-O-galloyl-4,6-HHDP-β-D-glucoside as principal compounds were identified among 31 phenolic substances of BFI and BFG by using HPLC-MS/MS.

Keywords

• anti-cancer activity
• anti-inflammatory activity
• balanophora fungosa subsp. indica
• balanophora subcupularis
• balanophora tobiracola
• isolation.