Comparative phytochemical, cytotoxicity, antioxidant and haemostatic studies of Taraxacum officinale root preparations
Graphical abstract
Introduction
The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) is considered a weed in many crops around the world, at the same time the plant has a long history as traditional herbal remedy to treat liver and gallbladder disorders, digestive ailments, diverse skin inflammations, and arthritic and rheumatic diseases (Martinez et al., 2015; Schütz et al., 2006). In the modern herbal medicine, all aforementioned functions of T. officinale have been upheld, and the dried leaves, flowers and roots, and extracts thereof are sold today as herbal teas, syrup and in the capsule form. Furthermore, dandelion is regarded as a fully nontoxic and entirely edible plant, and its aerial parts and root are the components of different food products, such as salads, wines, desserts, flavors, and coffee substitutes (Martinez et al., 2015).
The chemical composition of an entire plant (leaves, flowers, roots, and latex) has been studied extensively. Different tissues of dandelion reportedly contain an array of secondary metabolites, such as hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), triterpenes, and coumarins (Kisiel and Barszcz, 2000; Schütz et al., 2005; Saeki et al., 2013; Huber et al., 2015; Jedrejek et al., 2017). Additionally, several studies demonstrated that the plant is also a rich source of vitamins, phytosterols, polysaccharides (inulin), various amino acids, and minerals (particularly potassium) (Williams et al., 1996; González-Castejón et al., 2012). Dandelion extracts and their components have been shown to exert a wide range of in vitro and in vivo biological actions, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-thrombotic, antimicrobial and antiviral (Jeon et al., 2008; European Medicines Agency, 2009; Liu et al., 2010; You et al., 2010; He et al., 2011; Rehman et al., 2016; Jedrejek et al., 2017; Lis et al., 2018). Consequently, the use of dandelion preparations or the plant itself brings potentially a range of benefits for human health.
Although the major components of dandelion root have been described, new compounds are still being discovered, an example of which are the recently characterized 4-hydroxyphenylacetate inositol esters (PIEs) (Kenny et al., 2014b; Huber et al., 2015). It can be assumed that most of the potentially bioactive constituents of dandelion root have been identified, however, the biological activity of many of these phytochemicals still remains unexplored. Additionally, recently, dandelion root has gained attention for its antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anticancer and antimicrobial activity (You et al., 2010; Ovadje et al., 2012; Kenny et al., 2014a; 2015; Esatbeyoglu et al., 2017; Xue et al., 2017).
Oxidative stress is considered as one of the key mechanisms correlated with human pathological processes, such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Strong pro-oxidants have the ability to damage proteins and lipids, including those found in elements of the hemostatic system (plasma and platelets) which results in disturbance of hemostasis by changing their natural functioning and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases (Xue et al., 2017). Oxidative stress is indicated by various biomarkers, which have not only diagnostic value but could conceivably be also useful indicators of the need for antioxidant supplementation. A number of natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols, have been shown to protect cell components (DNA, protein, and lipids) from oxidative stress by preventing the formation of free radicals or by detoxifying them, resulting in the prevention of a variety of pathophysiological processes (Lobo et al., 2010). In several in vitro and in vivo studies, different extracts from the root or whole dandelion plant have been determined to exert strong anti-oxidative action (You et al., 2010; Kenny et al., 2014a; Esatbeyoglu et al., 2017; Xue et al., 2017). This effect was attributed mainly to the hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoid compounds present in them, while the contribution of other components, such as SLs and PIEs, has been much less recognized and studied.
This study aimed to investigate the in vitro protective effects of the five T. officinale root preparations, each containing a separate group of compounds, against oxidative stress stimulated by H2O2/Fe (donor of hydroxyl radicals) in human plasma. Three different markers of oxidation were measured, including lipid peroxidation (determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances - TBARS), protein carbonylation, and thiol group level. Additionally, another aim of our experiments was to determine the in vitro effect of dandelion root fractions on selected hemostatic parameters of plasma, including the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT); and platelets aggregation. Moreover, all tested preparations were evaluated for toxicity against blood platelets, by measuring the extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity – a marker of cell damage.
Section snippets
Chemicals
Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), H2O2, formic acid (LC-MS grade), D-glucose, L-cysteine methyl ester hydrochloride, o-tolyl isothiocyanate, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Trolox were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Acetonitrile (LC-MS grade), methanol (isocratic grade), tert-butanol and formic acid (98–100%) were acquired from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). AccQ•Tag™ Ultra Eluent A and B, as well as pre-column AccQ•TagTM Ultra derivatization kit,
Chemical characteristics of the five dandelion root preparations (A-E)
Applied multiple fractionation procedures, engaging different chromatographic techniques, for the purification of dandelion methanolic root extract (E1), resulted in the five fractions A-E; corresponding scheme of the separation process is given in Fig. 1.
Major components of aforementioned preparations were tentatively identified and classified on the basis of their MS and UV spectra, chemical analysis (hydrolysis), as well as literature data (Kisiel and Barszcz, 2000; Schütz et al., 2005;
Discussion
Our findings showing the presence of three major classes of secondary metabolites in T. officinale roots i.e. hydroxycinnamic acids, sesquiterpene lactones, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, are generally consistent with the results obtained by other authors (Kenny et al., 2014b; Schütz et al., 2005; Williams et al., 1996; Xue et al., 2017). To date, more than 10 HCAs and their esters have been isolated and identified in dandelion roots, including L- and meso-chicoric, caftaric,
Conclusion
In this work, the dandelion root was separated, applying different chromatographic techniques, into five preparations differing in phytochemical content. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system and other chemical analyzes (hydrolysis) were used to identify in total about 100 different compounds in the test fractions, including mainly hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxyphenylacetic acid inositol esters, and sesquiterpene lactone derivatives. The results of a detailed phytochemical study of root preparations revealed
Declaration of interest statement
None to declare.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by National Science Centre, Poland (2017/27/N/NZ9/02009).
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