Comparación de métodos cromatográficos para el fraccionamiento basado en polaridad de grupos de metabolitos secundarios del extracto de chilca (Baccharis latifolia)

Abstract

The study of medicinal plants as a source of bioactive secondary metabolites requires the implementation of separation techniques, which involves challenges in optimizing chromatographic processes. It is evidenced that 25% of medicines come from plant sources, so intensifying the study of plants can contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on improving the health and well-being of the population. The "chilca" (Baccharis latifolia), a member of the Asteraceae family, genus Baccharis, possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial properties. This specie was selected to implement a chromatographic separation strategy based on polarity gradients in open and preparative columns. An extract of Baccharis latifolia was obtained by maceration and ultrasound. In preparative chromatography, ethyl acetate and methanol (1:1) were used as the mobile phase and revealed under UV light. In column chromatography, a polarity gradient of Hexane: Ethyl Acetate: Methanol was performed in mixtures of increasing polarity.The efficiency of the separation methods was compared by estimating the total phenol and flavonoid content in the fractions. The Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride assays were miniaturized in 96-well microplates. The antioxidant activity was determined as the DPPH radical scavenging capacity. The results demonstrate the greater efficiency of column chromatography as a separation method based on polarity gradient. The fractions with higher polarity, obtained by column separation, have a high total phenol content. The obtained results suggest that Baccharis latifolia is a promising source of total phenols, which is associated with moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity.