Abstract:
Invasive plants’ phytochemicals are important for their invasiveness, enabling them to
spread in new environments. However, these chemicals could offer many pharmaceutical compounds
or active ingredients for herbal preparations. This study provides the first LC–MS phytochemical
screening of six invasive alien plant species (IAPS) in the Istria region (Croatia): Ailanthus altissima,
Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Conyza canadensis, Dittrichia viscosa, Erigeron annuus, and Xanthium strumarium.
The study aims to identify and quantify the phenolic content of their leaf extracts and assess their
antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential. A total of 32 species-specific compounds were recorded.
Neochlorogenic, chlorogenic, and 5-p-coumaroylquinic acids, quercetin-3-glucoside, and kaempferol
hexoside were detected in all the tested IAPS. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were the main
components in all the tested IAPS, except in E. annuus, where flavanones dominated with a share of
70%. X. strumarium extract had the best activity against the tested bacteria, with an average MIC value
of 0.11 mg/mL, while A. altissima and X. strumarium extracts had the best activity against the tested
fungi, with an average MIC value of 0.21 mg/mL in both cases. All the plant extracts studied, except X.
strumarium, were less cytotoxic than the positive control. The results provided additional information
on the phytochemical properties of IAPS and their potential for use as antimicrobial agents.
Description:
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS : Figure S1: Heat map presenting the representations of phenolic groups in different invasive plants; Figure S2: Chromatogram of the acetone extracts of the plant species leaves developed in ethyl acetate/methanol/water (EMW) solvent system sprayed with vanillin– sulphuric acid and TLC bioautograms; Table S1: Spectrum, mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) values of the molecular masses, and main fragments (MS2—second-generation product ion, MS3—thirdgeneration product ion) in negative ion mode ((M-H)−) identified with ESI–MS and the distribution of individual compounds in different invasive plants.
