Flavonoids of horse chestnut seeds

Horse chestnut extracts show beneficial effects on venous insufficiency and have many positive pharmacological effects on the skin [1]. The principial extract and medicinal constituent of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds is

aescin, a mixture of triterpenoid saponin glycosides. Its components include protoaescigenin and barringtogenol C. It can be fractionated into β-aescin, an easily crystallizable mixture and α-aescin, which is water-soluble. The aescin is a potent anti-inflammatory principle, which also reduces capillary fragility and prevents leakage of fluids into surrounding tissues. These saponins have also been used in shampoos, shower foams, creams, lotions and toothpastes. One other group of secondary metabolites in the seeds of horse chestnut is flavonoids. The work performed on flavonoids from the seeds of Aesculus chinensis demonstrated their significant antiviral activity [2]. A. hippocastanum flavonoids were also identified but their profile and concentration were not researched in detail [3]. Thus, the aim of our present work was to develop a fast UPLC procedure for profiling and determination of A. hippocastanum flavonoids. The method allowed good separation during 4.5min. The particular compounds were identified by spiking the extract with authenticated standards or by LC-ESI/MS/MS analysis. Thirteen compounds could be identified in the profile out of which di- and triglycosides of quercetin and kaempferol were the dominant and their acylated forms occurred just in trace amounts. The total concentration in the seed was 0.88% of dry matter, which was more than two times higher than in a previous evaluation (method not reported) [3]. Considering these findings, it can be concluded that flavonoids of horse chestnut seeds may play a significant role in overall activity of the extracts, and should not be neglected as previously suggested [3].

References: [1] Bagchi D, Sen Ck, et al. (2003) Mutat. Res. 523–524, 87–97. [2] Wie F, Ma S-C, et al. (2004) J. Nat. Prod. 67: 650–653. [3] Hubner G, Wray V et al. (1999) Planta Med. 65: 636–642.