Phenolic Profile, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Properties of the Chilean Endemic Plant Ovidia pillopillo (Gay) Meissner (Thymelaeaceae)

Ovidia pillopillo (Lloime) is an endemic species of the Valdivian Forest of Chile. Little is known on the chemistry and biological activity of this plant. In this study, the phenolic profile, antioxidant capacities and enzyme inhibition capacities (against tyrosinase and cholinesterase) of the plant were investigated for the first time. The phenolic profile of the plant was obtained by UHPLC-MS fingerprinting with high resolution, which showed the presence of several flavonoids and coumarins. The antioxidant potential was measured by FRAP and ORAC (45.56 +/- 1.32; 25.33 +/- 1.2 mu mol Trolox equivalents/g dry plant, respectively) plus ABTS and DPPH methods (IC50 = 9.95 +/- 0.05 and 6.65 +/- 0.5 mu g/mL, respectively). Moreover, the flavonoid and phenolic contents were determined (57.33 +/- 0.82 and 38.42 +/- 1.32, mu g of Trolox and quercetin equivalents/100 g dry weight, respectively). The ethanolic extract showed cholinesterase (IC50 = 1.94 +/- 0.07 and 2.73 +/- 0.05 mu g/mL, for AChE and BuChE, respectively) and tyrosinase (4.92 +/- 0.05 mu g/mL) enzyme inhibition activities. Based on these in vitro studies, in silico simulations were performed, which determined that the major compounds as ligands likely docked in the receptors of the enzymes. These results suggest that Ovidia pillopillo produce interesting special coumarins and flavonoids, which are potential candidates for the exploration and preparation of new medicines.

Automated summary

In this study, the chemical composition and biological activity of Ovidia pillopillo, an endemic species of the Valdivian Forest in Chile, were investigated for the first time. The plant was found to contain various flavonoids and coumarins, and exhibited strong antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities. These findings suggest that Ovidia pillopillo has potential as a source of new medicines.