Bioactive Compounds: Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antiproliferative Activities in Chloranthus henryi

This study investigates the antioxidant, antibacterial and antiproliferative properties of the ethyl acetate, chloroform, ethanol and n-butanol extracts from Chloranthus henryi. Total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenol content (TPC) values for the extracts could be investigated. The TPC value for extracts changed from 4.36 to 19.64 milligram gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry material, and the TFC of extracts changed from 3.13 to 9.99 milligram rutin equivalents per gram of dry material. The antioxidant properties were evaluated and their antimicrobial activity was tested against bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Group A Streptococcus and Monilia albican. The results showed that all extract displayed moderate or great potential of antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Strong correlations were observed between TPC and antioxidant activity. Five compounds could be separated from n-butanol extract, which showed high content of TPC and significant antioxidant activity. They are (1) gallic acid, (2) caffeic acid, (3) 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (4) rosmarinic acid and methyl rosmarinate (5). Antiproliferative activity was tested using HepG2, Hela and MCF-7 cells. The study suggested that components of Chloranthus henryi possessed fine antioxidant property, therefore can be applied for antioxidant, antibacterial and antiproliferative agents in the food or drug industries.