Gochnatia glutinosa (D.Don) D.Don ex Hook. & Arn.: A plant with medicinal value against inflammatory disorders and infections

Abstract

Gochnatia glutinosa is a shrub that grown in the Argentinean semiarid region (Monte region) used in the ancestral medicine as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. This study was aimed to examine the morpho-anatomical characteristics of G. glutinosa aerial parts, identify the chemical composition of traditionally used preparations to assess its pharmacobotanical characterization and evaluate its activity as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory to give scientific support to its traditional uses. G. glutinosa morpho-anatomical description was performed following standard histological techniques. Tincture and infusion of its aerial parts were prepared and were subjected to phytochemical analysis. Xanthine oxidase (XOD) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition experiments, as well as ABTS^•+, superoxide radical, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, were carried out. The growth inhibition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains was also determined. The morpho-anatomical traits of G. glutinosa leaves and stems were reported for the first time. The medicinal preparations exhibited a large amount of phenolic chemicals mainly flavonoids such as rhamnetin, arcapillin, rhamnacin, hesperetin, isorhamnetin, centaureidin, europetin 7-O-mehylmyricetin, cirsiliol, sakuranetin, genkwanin and eupatorine and also phenolic acids and diterpenoid derivatives. Both preparations had free radical scavenging activity and were able to reduce both XOD and LOX activity, indicating their anti-inflammatory properties. Besides, tincture was effective against all MRSA strains (MIC values ranging from 60 to 240 g DW/mL). The results obtained in this work scientifically support the medicinal popular use of G. glutinosa as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. The identification of bioactive compounds and their morpho-anatomical description contribute to the quality control of this medicinal plant from Argentine Calchaquí Valley.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity; Antiseptic activity; Argentine medicinal plant; Gochnatia glutinosa.

Fig. 1

Photography of Gochnatia glutinosa, at the collection site (Amaicha del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina). A) Adult plants of Gochnatia glutinosa with flowers B) Magnification of flowers of G. glutinosa.

Fig. 2

Gochnatia glutinosa. A. Third node and fully expanded leaves. B. Venation pattern. C. Venation pattern detail. References: 1°, primary vein; 3°, tertiary vein; a, areole; e2°, exterior secondary; fev, freely ending veinlet; fim, fimbrial vein; i2°, interior secondary.

Fig. 3

Gochnatia glutinosa. Leaf superficial view A-B. Adaxial and abaxial epidermis respectively. C-D. Biseriated glandular trichome in frontal and lateral view respectively. E. Flagellate unicellular non-glandular trichome. F–H. T-shaped non glandular trichome with one, two and four stalk cells respectively. I. Multistoried T-shaped non glandular trichome. J. Non glandular trichomes refrigent apical cell under polarized light. References: bc, basal cells; boc, body cells; cu, cuticle; gt, glandular trichome; hc, head cells; iTsc, invented T-shaped cell; Mngt, multistoried non glandular trichome; s, stoma; sc, stalk cell; Tngt, T shaped non glandular trichome; Tsc, T-shaped cell.

Fig. 4

Gochnatia glutinosa. Leaf section. A. Leaf transversal section. Detail of raised stomata with outer cuticular ledge. B-D. Vascular bundles with development of different fiber reinforcements as cups or isolated fibers. References: abp, abaxial palisade; adp, adaxial palisade; cl, cuticular ledge; fi, fibers; gt, glandular trichome; iep, inferior epidermis; ngt, non-glandular trichome; oc, occlusive cell; ph, phloem; ps, parenchyma sheath; s, stoma; sep, superior epidermis; sm; spongy mesophyll; vb, vascular bundle; x, xylem.

Fig. 5

Gochnatia glutinosa. Stem A. Stem epidemis. B-D. Stem transversal sections in incipient and more advanced secondary growth. C. Detail with suberinized endodermoid layer stained with sudan IV which also revealed the presence of lipophilic substances (arrow) in the cuticle of the epidermal cells, cortex and phloem cells. D. Detail of calcium oxalate crystal in the pith under polarized ligth. References: c, cambium; dr, druse; end, endodermoid layer; ep, epidermis; fi, fiber; lei, leaf insertion; pf, punctuation field; pi, pith; ph; phloem; x, xylem.

Fig. 6

Gochnatia glutinosa. Leaf histochemistry. A-B. Control fresh sections. A, C, E, G. Leaf mesophyll and mid vein B, D, F, H. Glandular trichome. C-D. FeCl₃ reactive for phenolic. E-F. Sudan IV staining for lipophilic substances. G-H. NADI reagent for terpenoids. References: arrow heads indicated positive staining or reactions.

Fig. 7

Gochnatia glutinosa. Leaf histochemistry. A. Toluidine blue O stain to detection of polysaccharides different than starch. B. Acid fuchsine for proteins. References: arrow heads indicated positive staining or reactions. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

Fig. 8

UHPLC/ESI/MS/MS Chromatograms a) Gochnatia glutinosa aqueous extract, b) Gochnatia glutinosa ethanolic extract.

Fig. 9

A) Phenolic compounds profile on Sílica gel F254 plates of G. glutinosa extracts reveled with Neu's reagent y visualized at UV_365nm. B) Bioautographic assay on methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (INBIOFIV–1S) of G. glutinosa extracts. 1) Infusion. 2) Tincture.