Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activity of Seven Native Species Growing in the Forests of Southern Chilean Patagonia

Abstract

The genus Nothofagus is one of the most abundant in the subantarctic Patagonian forests. Five species inhabit these ecosystems, three evergreen (Nothofagus betuloides, Nothofagus dombeyi, and Nothofagus nitida) and two deciduous (Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus antarctica). This is the first report on the levels of secondary metabolites and the antioxidant capacity of Patagonian tree species growing in natural environments. The aim of this work was to carry out a phytochemical screening, to determine the antioxidant capacity, the sun protection factor, and the α-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of foliar extracts of the five previous species. Besides, Aristotelia chilensis and Berberis microphylla, two species of Patagonian shrubs growing in the same forests, were used as reference. N. dombeyi was the Nothofagus with the best antioxidant capacity. B. microphylla differed from all studied species. Moreover, the Nothofagus was split into two groups. N. betuloides and N. dombeyi are the most similar species to A. chilensis. The α-glucosidase was completely inhibited by all studied extracts. Furthermore, N. antarctica, N.pumilio, and N. nitida inhibited about 70% of the tyrosinase activity. All the results found in this study for the species of the genus Nothofagus support further research on their potential beneficial properties for human health.

Anti-Inflammatory Chilean Endemic Plants

“…A decoction of the bark brings down a fever, whereas fruits are used to combat diarrhea [ 96 ]. Some foliar extracts showed an excellent sun protection factor [ 97 ]. The use of this native fruit is gaining international interest, which is mainly driven by its high content of polyphenols [ 98 , 99 ].…”

“…It has a potent antioxidant capacity similar to other native berries, which correlates with the fruit’s high content of total polyphenols and its concentration of anthocyanins. The consumption of these compounds has been proposed as a method of protection against diseases [ 16 , 97 ]. The ability of these fruit extracts to modulate the inflammatory response of an in vitro adipocyte–macrophage interaction has been evaluated, showing that they possess essential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant features [ 16 ].…”