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Abstract(s)
Geranium molle L. (Fig. l) has been used in the Portuguese folk medicine for the
treatment of various ailments including cancer [l]. However, contrary to many
Geranium species, the bioactivity and the phytochemical composition of G. molle are
virtually unexplored.
The first phase of this study consisted in the chemical characterization (nutritional
value, free sugars, organic acids, fatty acids and tocopherols) of a G. molle sample
from Trás-os-Montes, north-eastern Portugal. The bioactive properties of infusion
and decoction (common forms of consumption) and of different organic extracts
obtained by sequential extraction were also evaluated. G. molle was shown to be rich in
carbohydrates and proteins, providing tocopherols and essential fatty acids. Amongst
the various extracts, the acetone extract was found to have the highest content of
phenolic compounds as well as the highest antioxidant and cytotoxic activities [2].
Following this preliminary evaluation, the most active extracts (acetone and methanol)
were fractionated by column chromatography and the resulting fractions were
evaluated for their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The bio-guided fractionation
of the extracts resulted in several fractions with improved bioactivity in comparison
with the corresponding crude extracts. The fractions obtained from the acetone extract
consistently displayed the lowest EC50 and GI50 values and presented the highest content
of total phenolic compounds. The phytochemical composition of the most bioactive
fractions of the acetone and methanol extracts was included about thirty identified
compounds, mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids, which could be identified for the
first time in G. molle [3].
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Citation
Graça, Vânia C.; Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R. (2018). Bio-guided fractionation of extracts of Geranium molle L.: relationship between phenolic profile and biological activity. In XXIV Encontro Luso Galego de Química. Porto. ISBN 978-989-8124-24-1