Rapid characterization of secondary metabolites in Caryocar brasiliense leaf extract and antiradical activity

Leaves of Caryocar brasiliense, the gold of the Cerrado, are used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the respiratory tract. The content of total phenols and flavonoids of ethanolic extracts from the leaves of C. brasiliense were analysed by the Folin-Dennis reagent and aluminium chloride, respectively, in addition to the antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS tests. The coupling of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and mass spectrometry allowed the identification of 25 compounds, including tannins, triterpenes, saponins, lipids, and flavonoids. The structures were established by retention time behaviour, extensive analyses of their MS spectra, and by comparison with standards and/or of their MS data with those reported in the literature. Twenty-one compounds are being registered for the first time in C. brasiliense. The results suggest the potential of this species as a source of bioactive substances with antioxidant properties.