Polyphenol composition of extract from aerial parts of Circaea lutetiana L. and its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro

The chemical composition and bioactivity of a water/methanol extract prepared from aerial parts of Circaea lutetiana were determined. HPLC-DAD-MS3 analysis revealed the presence of 14 different compounds comprising phenolic acids, ellagitannins and flavonoids. Antioxidant assays showed the extract's strong scavenging activity towards DPPH (SC50 33.1±3.1 μg/ml), O2 - (SC50 4.0±2.3 μg/ml) and H2O2 (SC50 below 2 μg/ml). Enzyme-based studies revealed that Circaea lutetiana extract inhibits the activity of hyaluronidase (IC50 13.3±2.4 μg/ml) and lipoxygenase (IC50 44.7±1.4 μg/ml). These results support some traditional uses of Circaea lutetiana.