Comparative Analysis of a Secondary Metabolite Profile from Roots and Leaves of Iostephane heterophylla by UPLC-MS and GC-MS

Iostephane heterophylla is a traditional Mexican medicinal plant and is an important source of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. The aim of this work was to conduct a comparative analysis of secondary metabolites of different roots and leaf extracts of I. heterophylla from two zones in Mexico using ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). Twelve secondary metabolites from roots were identified in the leaves. Five new molecular weight secondary metabolites not previously reported were found. Six bioactive metabolites were quantified (quercetin ≤0.151 mg/mL in root and ≤0.041 mg/mL in leaf; hesperidin ≤0.66 mg/mL in root and ≤0.173 mg/mL in leaf; epicatechin ≤0. 163 mg/mL in root and ≤0.664 mg/mL in leaf; caffeic acid ≤0.372 mg/mL in root and ≤0.393 mg/mL in leaf; chlorogenic acid ≤0.234 mg/mL in root and ≤0.328 mg/mL in leaf; and xanthorrhizol ≤0.667 mg/mL in root), and a selective extraction method was established: quercetin in root and leaf by reflux; hesperidin in leaf by Soxhlet and in leaf by reflux; chlorogenic acid in root by Soxhlet and in leaf by reflux; chlorogenic acid ≤0.234 mg/mL in root and ≤0.328 mg/mL in leaf by ultrasound-assisted extraction; epicatechin in root by ultrasound-assisted extraction; caffeic acid in root by reflux and in leaf by Soxhlet. The most efficient solvent was methanol. This study provides a new secondary metabolite profile found in the leaves of I. heterophylla, highlighting it is an essential source of three bioactive compounds: epicatechin, hesperidin, and quercetin.