Extracts and Constituents of Rubus chingii with 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Free Radical Scavenging Activity

Abstract: The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity of the fruits of Rubus chingii was studied in vitro. Ethanolic extract, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions from dried R. chingii fruits revealed strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 17.9, 3.4 and 4.0 µg/mL, respectively. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were further purified by a combination of silica gel chromatography, Lobar RP-8 chromatography, and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Nine compounds were isolated, where methyl (3-hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydroindol-3-yl)-acetate (2), vanillic acid (5), kaempferol (7), and tiliroside (9) showed stronger DPPH free radical scavenging activity than that of ascorbic acid (131.8 µM) with IC₅₀ values of 45.2, 34.9, 78.5, and 13.7 µM, respectively. In addition, rubusine (1) is a new compound discovered in the present study and methyl (3-hydroxy-2-oxo-2,3-dihydroindol-3-yl)-acetate (2), methyl dioxindole-3-acetate (3), and 2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-4-carboxylic acid (4) were isolated from the fruits for the first time.