EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF GYNOXYS CUICOCHENSIS CUATREC: IDENTIFICATION OF METABOLITES AND EXPLORATION OF THEIR PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Gynoxys cuicochensis Cuatrec., a member of the Asteraceae family, inhabits the Fierro Urco moor in the province of Loja. Despite not being used in traditional medicine, it possesses significant landscape value due to its striking yellow inflorescence. For investigating its chemical composition and potential pharmacological properties, a phytochemical characterization of the plant’s ethanolic extract was conducted. The extract was obtained through static maceration for three days for the initial filtration, followed by one day for the second and third filtrations. Chlorophyll was separated using Diaion HP-20 resin as a solid phase packed in separation funnels, and an ethanol:water liquid phase with a concentration gradient ranging from 6:4 to 9:1 for elution. The dechlorophyllized extract was then freeze-dried and fractionated using gravity column chromatography. The obtained fractions were further purified through microcolumn and preparative chromatography. To elucidate the chemical structure of the molecules, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry were employed. Two metabolites were isolated for this study. The first one is a known glycosylated flavonoid called Nicotiflorin, while the second one is a phenolic derivative named 1,3-di-O-trans-feruloylquinic acid, which lacks a precise pharmacological description. This discovery represents an interesting and unique finding for this species, suggesting its potential medicinal use.