Determination of Phenolic Compounds in the Methanolic Extract of Pourouma guianensis Leaves by UPLC-DAD-MS

Background: The presence of phenolic compounds is common in Urticaceae. However, only one report of the isolation of an apigenin in the Pourouma genus is available. Pourouma guianensis occurs widely throughout Brazil, mainly in the Southeastern region, and is popularly known as “pitinga”. The chemical profile of P. guianensis is marked by the presence of steroids and triterpenes. Objective: This study carried out the characterization of phenolic substances using UPLC-DAD-MS separation, in order to increase the chemical knowledge on the Pourouma genus. Methods: The extract was analyzed by UPLC-DAD-MS using a C-18 column, DAD detector at 190- 400nm and ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometer. The solvent system consisted of water with 0.1% formic acid (phase A) and acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid (phase B). Results: The extract analysis identified the presence of ten compounds: two aryl propanoids (5-Ocaffeoylquinic acid and 3-O-feruloylquinic acid) and eight glycosylated flavones derived from apigenin, luteonin, and chrysoeryol (vicenin 2, saponarin, orientin, isoorientin, isoschaftoside, schaftoside, isovitexin, and isoscoparin). Conclusion: The developed UPLC-DAD method was proven to be an efficient tool for the separation of phenolic mixtures and the UPLC-DAD-MS analysis enabled the identification of these compounds, reported for the first time in Pourouma genus.