Determination of amino acids content of the Mahonia aquifolium by GC/MS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2025.327913

Keywords:

Mahonia aquifolium, flowers, leaves, fruits, free amino acids, bound amino acids, GC/MS

Abstract

Medicinal plants are unique sources of healing compounds that are used both for the prevention and treatment of various diseases of the human body. In this regard, one of the oldest medicinal plant families - Berberidaceae, is of great interest. The genus Mahonia Nuttall is the second largest genus in the Berberidaceae family and contains nearly 70 species which are used in traditional medicine. Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. (M. aquifolium) is one of the most abundant and cultivated medicinal plants of the genus Mahonia. There is insufficient information in the literature on the biologically active substances of Mahonia aquifolium. The studies of the Mahonia species have focused on alkaloids, such as berberine, jatrorrhizine, and palmatine, which are the main constituents of compounds. The Mahonia aquifolium, as an insufficiently studied plant, is a promising object of study, including amino acid composition.

The aim. The aim of our study was to identify and determine the quantitative content of amino acids using the GC/MS method in Mahonia aquifolium fruits, flowers, and leaves.

Materials and methods. The determination of amino acids composition of Mahonia aquifolium was conducted using Agilent Technologies 6890 chromatograph with mass spectrometric detector 5973 (Agilent Technologies, USA).

Results. The results of the study revealed that the raw material of Mahonia aquifolium contains more bound and less free amino acids. Bound L-leucine was present in all the analyzed samples in the greatest amount (30.885 mg/g in the flowers, 37.765 mg/g in the leaves, and 29.053 mg/g in the fruits). L-proline was among the free amino acids with a high content in flowers (73.304 mg/g) and leaves (32.031 mg/g) of Mahonia aquifolium. In addition, a high content of glycine in free form was found in the fruits (12.212 mg/g) of the study plant.

Conclusions. Using the GC/MS method determined, the amino acids in the herb of Mahonia aquifolium. High L-proline, L-leucine, and L-aspartic acid concentrations predominate among free and bound amino acids in all the analyzed samples. These amino acids are considered distinguishing markers of the Mahonia aquifolium. This research contributes to using this plant's raw material for new remedies that may be possible in the future

Author Biographies

Yelyzaveta Lastovychenko, І. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of Ministry of Health of Ukraine

PhD Student

Department of Pharmacognosy and Medical Botany

Svitlana Marchyshyn, І. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of Ministry of Health of Ukraine

Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor

Department of Pharmacognosy and Medical Botany

Liudmyla Slobodianiuk, І. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of Ministry of Health of Ukraine

PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Pharmacognosy and Medical Botany

Liliia Budniak, І. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of Ministry of Health of Ukraine

PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Pharmacy Management, Economics and Technology

Vitaliy Kischuk, Municipal Institution of Higher Education "Rivne Medical Academy" of Rivne Region Council

PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Disciplines

Olena Hlushchenko, O. Bogomolets National Medical University

PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Pharmacy and Industrial Technology of Drugs

Oksana Doroshenko, Іvano-Frankivsk National Medical University

PhD, Assistant

Department of Pharmacology

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Determination of amino acids content of the Mahonia aquifolium by GC/MS

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Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Lastovychenko, Y., Marchyshyn, S., Slobodianiuk, L., Budniak, L., Kischuk, V., Hlushchenko, O., & Doroshenko, O. (2025). Determination of amino acids content of the Mahonia aquifolium by GC/MS. ScienceRise: Pharmaceutical Science, (2 (54), 78–85. https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4852.2025.327913

Issue

No. 2 (54) (2025)

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Pharmaceutical Science

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Copyright (c) 2025 Yelyzaveta Lastovychenko, Svitlana Marchyshyn, Liudmyla Slobodianiuk, Liliia Budniak, Vitaliy Kischuk, Olena Hlushchenko, Oksana Doroshenko

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