Characterization of Compounds in the Plant Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. Ex Reissek during the Initial and Adult Development Stage

Abstract

Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. Ex Reissek, was first studied in the 60s, but only in the 80s and 90s were the studies were driven by scientific research that attributed medicinal properties to the plant, such as healing actions for human gastric diseases. In this work, a study was carried out on the characterization of the chemical composition of M. ilicifolia at different stages of development, using spectroscopic techniques of sustainable character, which do not require toxic solvents as previous preparations. Extracts from cotyledons, seedlings that have never been researched in the literature and leaf/stem were lyophilized to characterize the compounds present in this plant using photoacoustic and spectroscopy techniques in the Infrared spectroscopy using Fourier Transform-FTIR with ATR. The photoacoustic results show that there is a differentiation of development stages in the plant due to the greater presence of chlorophylls and terpenes in the seedlings and their absence in the cotyledon, which is characterized as the reserve part in the germination phase of the plant. The range of bands the literature reports for epigallocatechin and friedelin, the possible agents responsible for the medicinal effects of the plant were mainly seen in the cotyledon, thus demonstrating the use of the seedling in its initial stage, to extract and obtain these active components.