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Pharmacognosy 2019
March 11-12, 2019
London, UK
American Journal of Ethnomedicine
ISSN: 2348-9502
Page 23
Pharmacognosy and
Medicinal Plants
7
th
Edition of International Conference on
Perspectives of white birch bud extracts for
therapy of tumors
Marcin Stocki
1
, Valery Isidorov
1
, Łukasz Szoka
2
and
Jakub Strawa
2
1
Bialystok University of Technology, Poland
2
Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
B
irch buds (
Gemmae Betulae
) are widely used in
traditional medicine mainly as a diuretic and diaphoretic
agent but also as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and
analgesic. Despite the long history of therapeutic use of
birch buds in folk medicine, the existing information on
their chemical composition and pharmacological effects
is insufficient. This circumstance warrants further study
of the chemistry and pharmacology of birch buds. The
present study was designed to investigate (a) the chemical
composition of buds from two species of white birch and (b)
the
in vitro
cytotoxic effect of extracts from these sources
on selected tumour cells. Extracts from
Betula pubescens
Ehrh. and
Betula pendula
Roth buds were obtained using
three different methods: carbon dioxide supercritical
fluid extraction (SFE), washing of exudate covering whole
buds, and extraction of milled buds with diethyl ether.
Chemical composition of the buds of these extracts was
examined with chromatographic methods. Twenty three
pure compounds were isolated and some were identified
in mixtures with GC-MS method. The major components of
both sources were terpenoids and methoxylated flavonoid
aglycones, derivatives of flavane, flavone and flavonol.
For the first time were isolated glycosides (+)-catechin
7-O-glucopyranoside, hyperoside and avicularin and
identified procyanidins in butanol extracts. The comparative
quantitative examinations showed that buds from
B.
pubescens
are richer in flavonoids and phenolic acids than
from
B. pendula.
Cytotoxicity was determined byMTTassay,
and cell proliferation was determined by [3H] thymidine
uptake in cancer cells and normal skin fibroblasts. The
highest cytotoxic activity demonstrated bud exudates and
SFE extracts obtained from both
Betula
species. The rich
chemical composition of birch buds suggests the possibility
of a wider spectrum of biological activity than previously
thought. Birch bud extracts could be a promising source of
compounds with cytotoxic activity against various cancers.
Recent Publications
1. Isidorov V A, Szoka Ł and Nazaruk J (2018)
Cytotoxicity of white birch bud extracts:
perspectives for therapy of tumours. PLoS One
13:e02201949.
2. Isidorov V A, Bagan R, Szczepaniak L and
Święcicka I (2015) Chemical profile and
antimicrobial activity of extractable compounds
of
Betula
litwinowii (Betulaceae) buds. Open
Chemistry 13(1):125-137.
Marcin Stocki et al., Am J Ethnomed 2019, Volume 6
DOI: 10.21767/2348-9502-C1-008