Antioxidative Constitution of the Mistletoe, Viscum capitellatum Smith

Abstract

Mistletoes are being used in the treatment and management of a number of diseases, both in the traditional and in the complementary medicines, in several cultures. Fresh aerial parts of the obligate epiparasite, Viscum capitellatum Sm., hyperparasiting on the mistletoe Dendrophthoe falcata, a parasite on the terrestrial host, Albizzia lebbeck, was found to possess in vitro antioxidant capacity, as determined by the ABTS•+ and NO scavenging, FRAP and β-carotene bleaching assays and capable of potentially chelating ferrous ions. Terpenes (lupeol and betulin), terpenic acids (betulinic and oleanolic acids), sterols (spinasterol and β-sitosterol) and carotenoids have been identified as the antioxidant metabolites of the lipophilic fraction and phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid), 7-hydroxy-3,5,6,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone, eriodictyol and its 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside as the predominant antioxidant phytoconstituents of the hydrophilic fractions of the mistletoe extract.