Evaluation of the pharmacological effects of extracts and newly isolated phenolic acid glycosides from Gymnosporia chevalieri stems.

The stem extracts of Gymnosporia chevalieri were systematically evaluated for their biological activities. The methanol (M), the n-hexane (H), ethyl acetate (E), and water (W) extracts showed dose-dependent cytotoxic effects against human lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H460). The E and W extracts had selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells compared with normal cells (BEAS-2B). The extracts also effectively suppressed cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion at non-cytotoxic concentrations, indicating strong anti-metastatic potential. Antioxidant evaluations showed that the E extract possessed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents and demonstrated the strongest ferric reducing antioxidant power and reducing power values, as well as the most potent ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging activities, indicating a strong correlation between phenolic-flavonoid composition and antioxidant capacity. All extracts also displayed tyrosinase inhibitory activity, with the E and W extracts being more active than the M and H extracts. In parallel, pronounced anti-inflammatory effects were observed with the E and H extracts, as evidenced by inhibition of NO production. Phytochemical investigation further led to the identification of a mixture of two new phenolic glycosides, gymnosporosides A and B (1a-b), together with seven known components, thereby expanding the structural diversity to the Gymnosporia genus.