Analyses of phytochemical compounds in the flowers and leaves of Spiraea japonica var. fortunei using UV-VIS, FTIR, and LC-MS techniques

Abstract

Spiraea japonica var. fortunei has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine and is well-known for its alkaloids. However, there is no adequate study concerning the phenolic compounds. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate phenolic compounds found in the leaves and the flowers of the plant both qualitatively and quantitatively. Extractions were performed either with ethanol or methanol, and methanol has shown better performance than ethanol. The leaves were a better source of phenolic compounds than the flowers. The total phenolic content of the methanol extract of the leaves was 25.64 ± 0.32 mg GAE/g dry matter, and antioxidant activity, as determined with the DPPH method, was 69.76 ± 0.34 %. UV-VIS spectrum and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of phenolic compounds. The phenolic profile was investigated with LC-MS using both negative and positive ionization, and a total of 55 phenolic compounds that are attractive for pharmaceutical and medical applications were observed.

Keywords

• Spiraea japonica var. fortunei
• Phytochemicals
• Phenolic compounds
• Flavonoids
• FTIR
• LC-MS