title: Infusion and decoction of wild German chamomile: bioactivity and characterization of organic acids and phenolic compounds.
abstract: Natural products represent a rich source of biologically active compounds and are an example of molecular diversity, with recognised potential in drug discovery. Herein, the methanol extract of Matricaria recutita L. (German chamomile) and its decoction and infusion (the most consumed preparations of this herb) were submitted to an analysis of phytochemicals and bioactivity evaluation. The antioxidant activity was determined by free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation; the antitumour potential was tested in human tumour cell lines (breast, lung, colon, cervical and hepatocellular carcinomas), and the hepatotoxicity was evaluated using a porcine liver primary cell culture (non-tumour cells). All the samples revealed antioxidant properties. The decoction exhibited no antitumour activity (GI(50)>400 μg/mL) which could indicate that this bioactivity might be related to compounds (including phenolic compounds) that were not extracted or that were affected by the decoction procedure. Both plant methanol extract and infusion showed inhibitory activity to the growth of HCT-15 (GI(50) 250.24 and 298.23 μg/mL, respectively) and HeLa (GI(50) 259.36 and 277.67 μg/mL, respectively) cell lines, without hepatotoxicity (GI(50)>400 μg/mL). Infusion and decoction gave higher contents of organic acids (24.42 and 23.35 g/100g dw). Otherwise, the plant methanol extract contained the highest amounts of both phenolic acids (3.99 g/100g dw) and flavonoids (2.59 g/100g dw). The major compound found in all the preparations was luteolin O-acylhexoside. Overall, German chamomile contains important phytochemicals with bioactive properties (mainly antitumour potential selective to colon and cervical carcinoma cell lines) to be explored in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Escola Superior Agrária, Campus de Santa Apolónia, apartado 1172, 5301-854 Bragança, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dueñas
authors.forename: Ricardo C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Calhelha
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Celestino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santos-Buelga
authors.forename: Maria João R P
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: Isabel C F R
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D031168:Matricaria / Q000737:chemistry*; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts