“Evaluación de la actividad antioxidante de los extractos etanólicos de cinco especies de orquídeas de los géneros Maxillaria, Catasetum y Epidendrum, presentes en el Ecuador”

Abstract

In this study, a bioprospecting of the main bioactive components present in the ethanolic extracts of five species of orchids was carried out, selected for their usefulness in traditional medicine and they could have a potential phytopharmaceutical use. The selected orchids were morphologically and molecularly identified. Then the phytochemical study focused on the identification of bioactive compounds was developed, for this we worked with ethanolic extracts, obtained by the maceration method, with which the preliminary phytochemical profile was determined. Subsequently, we proceeded to quantify the mainly present metabolites by Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy. The antioxidant capacity of each extract was evaluated by DPPH method. The species identified in traditional medicine were: Maxillaria porrecta, Maxillaria procurrens, Trigonidium insigne, Epidendrum quintensium and Catasetum macroglossum, in the ethanolic extracts of these species, a majority presence of phenols and flavonoids was evidenced; which is related to the data of its antioxidant activity demonstrated with the DPPH technique, trought wich Maxillari porrecta (IC50 of 0,16 mg/mL) Trigonidium insigne (IC50 of 0,17 mg/mL) and Maxillaria procurrens (IC50 of 0,55) mg/mL, showed to have the highest activity. This study constitutes one of the few reports on the phytochemistry of orchids of medicinal interest in Ecuador. The results found suggest that those species with high antioxidant activity could have a potential phytopharmaceutical use.