Title:Bioactive Flavonoids from Cornus mas L. Fruits
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 6
Author(s):Bianca Moldovan* and Luminita David
Affiliation:Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca
Keywords:Cornus mas, Cornelian cherries, flavonoids, extraction, chalcone synthase, biological activity.
Abstract:Background: Cornus mas L. is a small tree of the Cornaceae plant family, widely spread in South
Eastern Europe and Asia. The fruits of Cornus mas L. have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, cardioand
hepatoprotective, cytotoxic, antibacterial, antigenotoxic and diuretic effects. A high number of bioactive
compounds have been identified in Cornus mas fruits, among which flavonoids exert favorable health effects
especially by acting as potent antioxidants.
Method: The main step in the isolation of flavonoids from vegetal matrices is extraction. Apart the usually applied
methods of organic compounds characterization like mass spectrometry (MS), ultraviolet and visible
(UV-Vis) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, the advanced analytical techniques such as high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are reliable tools in flavonoids structure determination.
Conclusion: This review focuses on the recent published studies regarding the extraction, characterization and
biological activities of flavonoids isolated from these fruits in order to understand their high potential as a
source of bioactive compounds and their importance in developing new pharmacological products.
