Background: Bougainvillea x buttiana has long been used as a Mexican conventional medicinal drug to cure different sicknesses.
Objective: In this work, the consequences of ethanol combination and temperature extraction for phenolic compound recovery with the biological activity in Bougainvillea x buttiana extracts were investigated.
Materials and Methods: The phenolic recovery from Bougainvillea x buttiana was determined by comparing the effects of ethanol 0%, 50-100% (v/v) and extraction temperature (26, 45 and 64°C). The total phenolic content was investigated using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity from different Bougainvillea x buttiana extracts was evaluated by determining their potential to scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The chemical compositions and cytotoxic effect of extracts were determined using GC-MS techniques and the crystal violet technique, respectively.
Results: Our results confirmed that all extractions with different concentrations and temperatures had significant effects over the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity (DPPH) of the extracts. The best recuperation of the total phenol content was observed in extracts with 60% ethanol at 26°C (201.08 mgEGA/g dry extract). Extracts with 100% ethanol at 26°C showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 was 286.75 μg/mL). GC-MS revealed the presence of various phytochemical contents with polar and non-polar properties. The phenolic compounds were investigated as to the structure, quantity and position of the hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring.
Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Bougainvillea x buttiana was confirmed to have high phenolic content and contain pharmacologically active compounds, with potent antioxidant effects and low cytotoxic effects.
Keywords: Bougainvillea x buttiana, cytotoxic effect, extract, solvent extraction, temperature extraction, total phenoliccontent.