INFLUENCE OF EXTRACTION PROCESS ON FLAVONOID CONTENT FROM Cnidoscolus quercifolius POHL (EUPHORBIACEAE) AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl is a Brazilian medicinal plant from Caatinga biome and possesses several pharmacological properties. Phytochemical investigations have attributed some of these properties to the presence of flavonoids. In this paper, we report the influence of the extraction process on the flavonoid content obtained from leaves of C. quercifolius and its antioxidant activity. A factorial design 22 was performed, using temperature and agitation as independent variables. Qualitative and quantitative analyzes of the extracts were performed by HPLC-DAD. Rutin and apigenin were identified in the extracts and chosen as analytical markers. Pareto chart and Surface response plots suggested that rutin content was increased up to 3.93 times when temperature was employed during the extraction process. However, apigenin content was significantly reduced in the method whose temperature or agitation were used (p<0.05). A higher antioxidant activity was observed in extracts whose rutin extraction was favored, suggesting that this flavonoid contributes at least in part to the antioxidant potential of the species.