Simultaneous quantification of ten constituents of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge using UHPLC-MS methods and evaluation of their radical scavenging, DNA scission protective, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities

The present study was designed to investigate the bioactive constituents of Xanthoceras sorbifolia in terms of amounts and their antioxidant, DNA scission protection, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Simultaneous quantification of 10 X. sorbifolia constituents was carried out by a newly established ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry method (UHPLC-MS). The antioxidant activities were evaluated by measuring DPPH radical scavenging and DNA scission protective activities. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were investigated by using an assay with α-glucosidase from Bacillus Stearothermophilus and disaccharidases from mouse intestine. We found that the wood of X. sorbifolia was rich in phenolic compounds with the contents of catechin, epicatechin, myricetin, and dihydromyricetin being 0.12–0.19, 1.94–2.16, 0.77–0.91, and 6.76–7.89 mg·g−1, respectively. The four constituents strongly scavenged DPPH radicals (with EC50 being 4.2, 3.8 and 5.7 μg·mL−1, respectively) and remarkably protected peroxyl radical-induced DNA strand scission (92.10%, 94.66%, 75.44% and 89.95% of protection, respectively, at a concentration of 10 μmol·L−1). A dimeric flavan 3-ol, epigallocatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O-7)-epicatechin potently inhibited α-glucosidase with an IC50 value being as low as 1.2 μg·mL−1. The established UHPLC-MS method could serve as a quality control tool for X. sorbifolia. In conclusion, the high contents of antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory constituents in X. sorbifolia support its use as complementation of other therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and hypertension.