Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 20 No 3 2016): 567 - 572

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/mjas-2016-2003-15

 

 

 

QUANTIFICATION OF CATECHIN IN LEAVES AND STEMS OF MALAYSIAN Uncaria gambir (HUNTER) ROXB. BY HPLC-DAD

 

(Kuantifikasi Katekin dalam Daun dan Batang Uncaria gambir (Hunter) Roxb. dari Malaysia Menggunakan KCPT-PSD)

 

Nurliayana Ibrahim¹, Nurul Zulaikha Mohd Yusoff¹, Rohaya Ahmad^{1, 2}*

 

¹Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

²Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Products Discovery (AuRins),

 Universiti Teknologi MARA, 43600 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: rohayaahmad@salam.uitm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 24 February 2015; Accepted: 27 October 2015

 

 

Abstract

Recently, we reported the isolation of a novel flavonoid named uncariechin along with epicatechin and epiafzelechin from the leaf extract of Uncaria longiflora variety pteropoda (Miq.) Ridsd. of the family Rubiaceae. Continuing our investigation on the Uncaria genus, the identification and quantification of its phytoconstituents was carried out. The species of particular interest is the Malaysian Uncaria gambir. This species is distributed mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia and has been cultivated for the flavonoid catechin in Indonesia. Hence, the objective of this study is to determine the quantity of catechin in hexane (Hx), dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts in both stem and leaf parts of the plant via HPLC-DAD. Our findings indicate that catechin is present in higher amounts in the MeOH extract [8.64 % (leaves); 5.12 % (stems)] compared to the DCM extract [0.77 % (leaves); 0.92 % (stems)] with no catechin found in the hexane extract. This is the first report of the quantification of catechin from Malaysian U. gambir using HPLC-DAD. The method can be used for the quantification of flavonoids from other Uncaria and related genus and is useful for targeted isolation of interest flavonoids.

 

Keywords: Uncaria gambir, catechin, flavonoid, HPLC-DAD

 

Abstrak

Kami telah melaporkan pengasingan satu flavonoid novel iaitu unkariekin bersama-sama dengan epikatekin dan epiafzelekin daripada ekstrak daun Uncaria longiflora var. pteropoda (Miq.) Ridsd. yang tergolong dalam famili Rubiaceae. Lanjutan terhadap penyelidikan genus ini, pengenalpastian fitokonstituen serta kuantifikasinya telah dijalankan, khususnya terhadap species Uncaria gambir dari Malaysia. Spesies ini banyak dijumpai di Malaysia dan Indonesia dan telah ditanam di Indonesia untuk flavonoid katekin. Maka, objektif penyelidikan ini adalah penentuan kuantiti katekin dalam ekstrak heksana (Hx), diklorometana (DCM) dan metanol (MeOH) dari batang dan juga daun Uncaria gambir dengan menggunakan KCPT-PSD. Hasil penyelidikan mendapati bahawa katekin banyak dijumpai di dalam ekstrak metanol [8.64 % (daun); 5.12 % (batang)] berbanding di dalam ekstrak diklorometana [0.77 % (daun); 0.92 % (batang)] tetapi tidak dikesan dalam ekstrak heksana. Ini merupakan laporan pertama bagi kuantifikasi katekin daripada U. gambir tempatan melalui KCPT-PSD. Kaedah ini boleh digunakan untuk kuantifikasi flavonoid dari spesies Uncaria lain dan genus berkaitan, malah berguna untuk pengasingan flavonoid sasaran.

 

Kata kunci: Uncaria gambir, katekin, flavonoid, KPCT-PSD

 

References

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