Host-Dependent Phytochemical Profiles and Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Activities of Mexican Mistletoe (Psittacanthus calyculatus) Organs

TL;DR

Mexican mistletoe's chemical makeup and health benefits depend on the host plant and organ, with freeze-drying boosting its medicinal potential.

Contribution

The study reveals host-specific phytochemical profiles and enhanced bioactivity in freeze-dried Mexican mistletoe organs.

Findings

Freeze-dried pericarps from Mimosa sp. showed high malvidin-3-O-glucoside and gallic acid levels.

Freeze-drying increased gallic acid concentration by 54% in Mimosa sp. pericarps.

Freeze-dried mistletoe organs exhibited strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities.

Abstract

Mexican mistletoe (Psittacanthus calyculatus) is an ecologically and pharmacologically relevant hemiparasitic plant whose phytochemical composition varies according to host, organ, and processing. This study analyzed the pericarp, flower, leaf, and peduncle in fresh and freeze-dried conditions. The samples were collected from Forestiera phillyreoides and Mimosa sp. High-performance thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of malvidin-3-O-glucoside (27.43 ± 1.88 mg/g dry weight [DW]) in freeze-dried pericarps, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (26.55 ± 1.19 mg/g DW) in freeze-dried flowers, and rutin (5.39 ± 1.24 mg/g DW) in freeze-dried leaves collected from Mimosa sp. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed the presence of gallic acid (40.40 ± 0.228 mg/g DW in freeze-dried pericarps of Mimosa sp.), which was 42.9% higher than the amount found in F. phillyreoides plants. Regarding antioxidant activity, freeze-dried mistletoe pericarps collected from Mimosa sp. exhibited the highest capacity (85.7–94.9% DPPH· and ABTS·+ inhibition, respectively). For α-glucosidase inhibition, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of freeze-dried flowers and pericarps were low (84–85 μg/mL), comparable to acarbose (62 μg/mL). Freeze-drying increased metabolite concentration by up to 54% for gallic acid in the pericarp of plants collected from Mimosa sp. and enhanced bioactivity. Overall, Mexican mistletoe is established as a nutraceutical source with therapeutic potential and sustainable use value.

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