Quantification of rosmarinic acid and cytotoxic evaluation of aerial parts of Eryngium campestre L. on chondrocyte cells

Abstract

Plants and their extracts have been used since ancient times in the treatment of various diseases. The genus Eryngium, which belongs to the Apiaceae family, comprises 317 taxa worldwide, 26 of which are found in Türkiye. Eryngium campestre L., commonly referred to as boğa dikeni in Türkiye, is a plant whose flowers, dried leaves, and roots are utilized for medicinal purposes. The aerial parts of Eryngium campestre are rich in bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, essential oil, flavonoids, acetylenes, saponins, and coumarins. Among the flavonoids identified are quercetin glycosides (rutin), isorhamnetin glycosides, myricetin glycosides, and kaempferol glycosides. Additionally, phenolic acids such as p-coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid have also been documented.
The current study aimed to quantify the rosmarinic acid content in the aerial parts of E. campestre collected from Türkiye through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of the plant extract on chondrocyte cells via in vitro XTT and LDH assays.
HPLC analysis revealed that the aerial parts contained 1.7% (w/w) rosmarinic acid. The extract was shown to reduce chondrocyte cell viability, and LDH assay results indicated cytotoxic effects at the concentrations tested. It was concluded that further studies should focus on the evaluation of lower concentrations. These findings are anticipated to provide valuable insights for guiding subsequent research on the biological activities of E. campestre.