Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants

Biography

Marcin Stocki is PhD student from the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry at the University of Bialystok in the field of chemistry. In 2013, he completed postgraduate studies in "Analytics in environmental protection - chromatography and separation techniques in various variants of trace determinations" at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. He is assistant at Faculty of Forestry of Bialystok University of Technology.

 

Abstract

Birch buds (Gemmae Betulae) are widely used in traditional medicine mainly as a diuretic and diaphoretic agent but also as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Despite the long history of therapeutic use of birch buds in folk medicine, the existing information on their chemical composition and pharmacological effects is insufficient. This circumstance warrants further study of the chemistry and pharmacology of birch buds. The present study was designed to investigate (a) the chemical composition of buds from two species of white birch and (b) the in vitro cytotoxic effect of extracts from these sources on selected tumour cells.

Extracts from Betula pubescens Ehrh. and Betula pendula Roth buds were obtained using three different methods: carbon dioxide supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), washing of exudate covering whole buds, and extraction of milled buds with diethyl ether. Chemical composition of the buds of these extracts was examined with chromatographic methods. Twenty three pure compounds were isolated and some were identified in mixtures with GC-MS method. The major components of both sources were terpenoids and methoxylated flavonoid aglycones, derivatives of flavane, flavone and flavonol. For the first time were isolated glycosides (+)-catechin 7-O-glucopyranoside, hyperoside and avicularin and identified procyanidins in butanol extracts. The comparative quantitative examinations showed that buds from B. pubescens are richer in flavonoids and phenolic acids than from B. pendula.

Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay, and cell proliferation was determined by [³H]thymidine uptake in cancer cells and normal skin fibroblasts. The highest cytotoxic activity demonstrated bud exudates and SFE extracts obtained from both Betula species. The rich chemical composition of birch buds suggests the possibility of a wider spectrum of biological activity than previously thought. Birch bud extracts could be a promising source of compounds with cytotoxic activity against various cancers.