LC-MS/MS analysis of flavonoid compounds from Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides extracts and their antioxidant activities

Abstract

Flavonoids are a large group of phenolic secondary metabolites having a wide range of biochemical and pharmacological effects. In this work, a targeted liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS2) was used to characterize the flavonoid compositions of methanolic plant extracts from separated parts (fruits, leaves, stems, trunk barks, and root barks) of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides. Nine flavonoids were reported in this species, including three flavanones, five flavonols and one flavone. Quantitative analysis of flavonoid profiles from Z. zanthoxyloides extracts is useful to a better understanding of the pattern and distribution of metabolites in extract samples. The concentrations of two glycosylated flavanones (neohesperidin and hesperidin) and one flavonol (quercetin) were higher in root and trunk samples compared to fruit samples. These compounds were reported in small amounts in the stem and leaf samples. In contrast, four flavonols (hyperoside, quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside, datiscin and quercitrin) were present in significant levels only in the leaf extracts. The presence of glycosylated flavanone (eriocitrin) has been reported only in fruit extract. The antioxidant properties of different extracts were tested regarding their scavenging activities on ABTS+ radical. Leaf and trunk bark extracts exhibited antioxidant activities, while the extracts obtained from other organs (fruits, stems, and root barks) showed low antioxidant properties.