HPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS-Based Metabolite Profiling and Bioactivity Assessment of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i>

A comprehensive metabolic profiling of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> (L.) G. Don was performed using tandem mass spectrometry, along with an evaluation of the biological activities of its various solvent extracts. Among these, the methanolic leaf extract exhibited mild radical scavenging ac...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Soniya Joshi, Chen Huo, Rabin Budhathoki, Anita Gurung, Salyan Bhattarai, Khaga Raj Sharma, Ki Hyun Kim, Niranjan Parajuli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2395
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A comprehensive metabolic profiling of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> (L.) G. Don was performed using tandem mass spectrometry, along with an evaluation of the biological activities of its various solvent extracts. Among these, the methanolic leaf extract exhibited mild radical scavenging activity, low to moderate antimicrobial activity, and limited cytotoxicity in both the brine shrimp lethality assay and MTT assay against HeLa and A549 cell lines. High-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS) analysis led to the annotation of 34 metabolites, primarily alkaloids. These included 23 indole alkaloids, two fatty acids, two pentacyclic triterpenoids, one amino acid, four porphyrin derivatives, one glyceride, and one chlorin derivative. Notably, two metabolites—2,3-dihydroxypropyl 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate and (10<i>S</i>)-hydroxypheophorbide A—were identified for the first time in <i>C. roseus</i>. Furthermore, Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) analysis revealed 18 additional metabolites, including epoxypheophorbide A, 11,12-dehydroursolic acid lactone, and 20-isocatharanthine. These findings highlight the diverse secondary metabolite profile of <i>C. roseus</i> and support its potential as a source of bioactive compounds for therapeutic development.
ISSN:2223-7747