Isolation, antioxidant property and protective effect on PC12 cell of the main anthocyanin in fruit of Lycium ruthenicum Murray

- The main anthocyanin in the fruit of Lycium ruthenicum (compound 1) was prepared.
- The structure of compound 1 was identified by MS and NMR.
- Compound 1 had little toxicity to PC12 cells.
- Compound 1 exhibited excellent antioxidant in vitro.
- Compound 1 exhibited excellent cytoprotective effect on PC12 cells.

The fruit of Lycium ruthenicum Murray has been widely used as a precious Chinese herbal medicine. In this study, the major anthocyanin in L. ruthenicum fruit was obtained via an AKTA purifier system with YMC-Pack ODS-A column and identified by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to be petunidin 3-O-[6-O-(4-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside]-5-O-[β-d-glucopyranoside] (compound 1). Compound 1 exhibited higher scavenging activities against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydra-zyl and superoxide radicals than the crude extract of anthocyanins. Moreover, compound 1 was demonstrated to have potential cytoprotective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular reactive oxygen damage in neuronlike rat pheochromocytoma line cells by promoting cell proliferation, mitigating lipid peroxidation and regulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase).