Flavonoids from Guadua incana Londoño: exploring the composition of pharmacologically promising metabolites from a Colombian endemic species

Bamboos are classically recognized as a plant material for use in construction, however, they may also be a valuable source of bioactive compounds with potential for unexplored and promising pharmacological activities. While most chemical and biological studies have focused on species from the Asian continent [1], there is a need to deepen research on Neotropical bamboos to identify alternative uses and create additional value for species of wide occurrence also in Colombia. Recent results of our research group have described the presence of diverse metabolites in different species of the genus Guadua, with special emphasis on flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives and the behavior of their metabolic profile under different influences, such as altitude and different fertilization processes [2-4]. Additionally, we have demonstrated the cytotoxic potential of an extract obtained from the foliar leaves of Guadua incana against HCT-116 colon cancer cells, and using modern and robust analytical techniques, with metabolomic and chemometric approaches, it has been indicated that the compounds related to the observed cytotoxic activity were the flavonoids present in the active extract of this species [5,6]. Considering the unexplored pharmacological potential for G. incana, in addition to the few previous studies carried out for this species, the following research question arises: What is the flavonoid composition of Guadua incana foliar leaves? The main objective of this project is “To evaluate the flavonoid composition of an active extract obtained from the foliar leaves of Guadua incana”. To meet this objective, the proposed methodological development will seek (i) To characterize the flavonoid composition of the foliar leaves of Guadua incana by means of a metabolomic profiling associating Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) with Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to High Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS); and (ii) To validate the identification by means of the isolation of some flavonoids present in the leaves of Guadua incana by Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) and identification by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). As an expected result and as the conclusion of the present study, it will be sought to know the profile and obtain and identify some flavonoids from G. incana, expanding the knowledge of this species little studied so far, generating an important information base on the potential therapeutic uses of this species and/or its compounds.