The HPLC determination of the content of magnoflorine in epimedium alpinum L

Abstract

The aporphine alkaloid magnoflorine, known as a constituent of Asian Epimedium species, was isolated for the first time from the wild growing European species, Epimedium alpinum L. Identification was done by comparison with literature data. The HPLC method was applied for the determination of the content of the alkaloid in methanolic extracts of plant material. The underground part of E. alpinum contains 1-2 % of magnoflorine, while its content in methanolic extracts was 9.2-11.8 %. The aerial part of the plant contains less alkaloid (0.06-0.12 %), while the magnoflorine content in methanolic extracts of the aerial part was 0.4-0.8 %. Probably, the high content of magnoflorine in the methanolic extracts of underground parts of E. alpinum influences its dose-dependent cytotoxic activity (300 μg/ml; 39 % survival of cells in an experimental K562 cell culture).

Aporfinski alkaloid magnoflorin, poznat kao sastojak drugih vrsta roda Epimedium, po prvi put je izolovan iz evropske vrste Epimedium alpinum L. i identifikovan poređenjem sa literaturnim podacima. Ovo jedinjenje je korišćeno kao standard u HPLC analizi metanolnih ekstrakata E. alpinum. Sadržaj magnoflorina je znatno viši u ekstraktima podzemnih organa (9,2-11,8%, što odgovara sadržaju od 1-2 % magnoflorina u biljnom materijalu), nego u ekstraktima nadzemnih organa prevolca (0,4-0,8%,što odgovara sadržaju od 0,06-0,12%magnoflorina u biljnom materijalu). Sasvim je verovatno da je potvrđena citotoksična aktivnost metanolnog ekstrakta podzemnih organa (300 μg/ml; 39 % preživelih ćelija K562 kulture maligno-transformisanih ćelija), kao i imunomodulatorna aktivnost, povezana sa visokom koncentracijom ovog alkaloida u ispitivanom ekstraktu.