Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Different Viola species are known for their traditional use as analgesic, antitussive, febrifuge,
hipnotic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicinal agents. Additionally, they are
considered edible flowers in certain cultures. Thus, the aim of this work was to characterize
the phenolic composition and to assess the neuroprotective properties of Viola cornuta
and Viola x wittrockiana using in vitro and in vivo methodologies with Caenorhabditis
elegans as model. The identification of the phenolic compounds was carried out with a LCDAD-
ESI/MSn. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined in vitro using Folin-
Ciocalteu, DPPH and FRAP assays and in vivo with a juglone-induced oxidative stress in C.
elegans. The neuroprotective properties were evaluated measuring the ability to inhibit CNS
enzymes (MAO A, AChE), and the capability to avoid paralyzing the C. elegans CL4176, an
Alzheimer disease model. The phenolic content was higher in V. x wittrockiana, being
quercetin-3-O-(6-O-rhamnosylglucoside)-7-O-rhamnoside the predominant compound in
the extract, which also exhibited a stronger antioxidant capacity in vitro and a higher
response to lethal oxidative stress on C. elegans than V. cornuta. Only V. x wittrockiana
showed inhibitory effect on CNS enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase and monoamine
oxidase A, but both had protective effect against the paralysis of C. elegans. These findings
suggest that the studied V. cornuta and V. x wittrockiana could be interesting candidates for
age related neurodegenerative disorder associated with oxidative stress.
Description
Keywords
Antioxidant Caenorhabditis elegans LC-DAD-ESI/MSn Neuroprotective potential Polyphenols Viola
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Moliner, Cristina; Barros, Lillian; Dias, Maria Inês; Reigada, Inés; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; López, Víctor; Langa, Elisa; Rincón, Carlota Gómez (2019). Viola cornuta and Viola x wittrockiana: Phenolic compounds, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities on Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. ISSN 1021-9498. 27, p. 849-859