Comparative analysis of some bioactive compounds in leaves of different Aloe species
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
BMC Chemistry Open Access
Comparative analysis of some bioactive compounds in leaves of different Aloe species Bunea Andrea1, Rugină Dumitrița2* , Copaciu Florina1, Dulf Francisc3, Veres Anastasia1, Sonia Socaci4 and Pintea Adela2
Abstract Although a vast number of Aloe species are known, only the Aloe vera and Aloe arborescens species are currently used by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, the current study aims to complete the existent literature data with new information on the phytochemical composition of some lesser-known Aloe species, with the main focus on carotenoids and fatty acids. Among the analyzed species, Aloe aculeata and Aloe ferox had the highest content in carotenoids, the major pigments being lutein and β-carotene (according to HPLC analysis). The fatty acid profile of each Aloe species was analysed by GC–MS. Linolenic and linoleic acids were the major polyunsaturated fatty acids found in higher percent in Aloe ferox, Aloe spectabilis and Aloe marlothii. Instead, Aloe aculeata proved to have a distinct fatty acid profile, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. Species such as Aloe arborescens and Aloe marlothii proved to have the highest antioxidant potential according to data of DPPH, ORAC, HPS assays, even if the richest one in vitamin C was found to be Aloe spectabilis. Though the scientific research is mainly focused on the common species Aloe barbadensis, the current data suggests that other Aloe species could receive more attention from industry part, being great sources of bioactive compounds. Keywords: Aloe sp., Antioxidant activity, Ascorbic acid, Carotenoids, Fatty acids, HPLC, GC–MS Introduction The genus Aloe (Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae) comprises over 500 species, of all the most well-known being Aloe vera. Aloe species, besides their widespread use as a food ingredient, have been intensely exploited in the traditional medicine of other cultures for their curative and therapeutic properties [1, 2]. The biological properties of Aloe such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-tumoral, and antioxidant, as well as wound healing ones are sustained by numerous in vitro and in vivo studies [1, 3]. These properties could be attributed to various compounds of the phytochemical profile of Aloe extracts, rather than to one single class *Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur, No. 3‑5, 400372 Cluj‑Napoca, Romania Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
of compounds. Focusing on the phytochemical content of leaves, in Aloe vera valuable molecules such as fatty acids (palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid), phenolic acids (phenol, vanillic, homovanillic, protocatechuic) and sterols (cholestanol) were found [4]. In a recent study, the phytochemical profile of the leaf exudates reported that many Aloe species contain free and glycosylated chromones, aloin and hydroxyaloins. Among the examined species in the same study, A.
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