Estudo fitoquímico da espécie Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul) LP Queiroz

Abstract

The chemistry of natural products is a subfield of organic chemistry that aims to identify the components of the secondary metabolism of microorganisms, animals and plants. To this end, it bridges several other areas, such as microbiology, biochemistry, ecology, pharmacology, medicine and organic synthesis. Phytochemistry studies plant secondary metabolism aiming at the use of compounds for different purposes, such as the development of drugs, agrochemicals, insecticides, etc. The present research has as target the species Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul) LP Queiroz known as “catingueira”. Its leaves are used in folk medicine to treat respiratory infections and diarrhea, and it is also used to feed cattle and sheep. Despite its use in animal feed, there are no reports of the chemical composition of the fatty acids produced by the species. Previous studies have reported the production of different types of phenolic compounds from the species. Taking into account its medicinal and food uses, the present work aimed to deepen the phytochemical knowledge of P. pyramidalis, aiming at the identification of its fatty acids and phenolic compounds. The research led to the identification of fatty acids from the hexane phase through gas chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID), with linoleic and palmitic acids as the major components. Using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, it was possible to isolate and identify the biflavonoid Loniflavone, previously reported in the species. From the quantification of total phenolics, it was found the value of 192.500 ± 0.001 mg EAG (gallic acid equivalents)/g of ethanolic extract of the species. The results obtained contribute to the knowledge of the metabolism of the P. pyramidalis species.