Comparative Study on Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of an Epiphyte, Viscum album L. (White Berry Mistletoe), Derived from Different Host Trees

The study aimed at evaluating the antioxidant profile of a medicinal epiphyte Viscum album L. harvested from three tree species, namely, Populus ciliata L, Ulmus villosa L., and Juglans regia L. The crude extracts were obtained with ethanol, methanol, and water and were evaluated for the total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities using total reducing power (TRP), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1, 1-diphenyl 1-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide radical scavenging (SOR), and hydroxyl radical scavenging ((OH)-O-center dot) assays. Our results showed that crude leaf extracts of plants harvested from the host Juglans regia L. exhibited higher yields of phytochemical constituents and noticeable antioxidative properties. The ethanolic leaf samples reported the highest phenols (13.46 +/- 0.87 mg/g), flavonoids (2.38 +/- 0.04 mg/g), FRAP (500.63 +/- 12.58 mu M Fe II/g DW), and DPPH (87.26% +/- 0.30 mg/mL). Moreover, the highest values for TRP (4.24 +/- 0.26 mu g/mL), SOR (89.79% +/- 0.73 mg/mL), and OH (67.16% +/- 1.15 mg/mL) were obtained from aqueous leaf extracts. Further, Pearson correlation was used for quantifying the relationship between TPC, TFC, and antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH, SOR, OH) activities in Viscum album L. compared to their hosts. It was revealed that the epiphyte showed variation with the type of host plant and extracting solvent.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the antioxidant profile of the medicinal epiphyte Viscum album L. harvested from three tree species and found that ethanol extracts exhibited higher antioxidative properties, while aqueous extracts showed higher reducing power and radical scavenging abilities. The study also revealed variations in antioxidant activities depending on the host plant and extracting solvent used.