Bioactivities of phytochemicals in Araiostegia yunnanensis (Christ)

The profile and bioactivity of phytochemicals in Araiostegia yunnanensis ( Christ ) Cop were investigated. The total flavonoids content in A. yunnanensis is about 84.90   mg/g. By means of HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS, the main flavonoids in A. yunnanensis were tentatively identified as myricetin 3- O -rhamnosylglucoside, eriodictyol 7- O -rutinoside, quercetin 3- O -rutinoside, luteolin-7- O -apiosylglucoside, quercetin 3- O -rhamnosylgalactoside, and luteolin 7- O -glucoside. The extract (0.268   mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis showed very strong superoxide anion radical scavenging potential and reducing power, which are higher than those of rutin (0.25   mg/ml). The extract (0.268   mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis exhibited similar DPPH scavenging activity with rutin (0.25   mg/ml). However, rutin (0.25   mg/ml) showed a significantly higher ABTS radical scavenging effect than that of the extract (0.268   mg/ml total flavonoids) from A. yunnanensis. The methanol extract from A. yunnanensis showed obviously cytotoxic effects on A549 cells and it had no effect against acetylcholinesterase.