Bioprospecção de plantas produtoras do ecdisteróide 20-hidroxiecdisona

Abstract

The ecdysteroids (ECDs), ecdysone (E) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), are sterol hormones found in arthropods (zooecdysteroids, ZES) and plants (phytoecdysteroids, PEs). The PE 20E may show agrochemical, biotechnological, medicinal and pharmaceutical applicability. In order to bioprospect South America plants that potentially synthesize 20E, methanol extracts of leaves, stems and roots of 104 different species (representing 86 genera and 36 families) and two positive controls were evaluated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the methanol extract of leaves, stems and roots of the two positive controls and three assessed species i) Amaranthus hybridus var patalus (Betol.) Thell (Amaranthaceae); ii) Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) G ex S. Moore) (Bignoniaceae); and, iii) Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. ex DC.) Standl. (Bignoniaceae) showed a peak with the retention time equivalent to the standard (20E), indicating that these plants potentially synthesize 20E. The percentage of 20E in leaf, stem and root of A. hybridus var patulus was respectively 0.14, 0.10, 0.08% (w/w). In T. serratifolia, the 20E percentage in leaf, stem and root was respectively 0.14, 0.68 and 0.60%. In T. impetiginosa, the 20E percentage in leaf, stem and root was respectively 0.02, 0.11 and 0.19%. Further analyses (e.g. HPLC, Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) are necessary to access the identity of these phytochemicals since it is the first report about the potential presence of 20E in these three species.