Investigations of Three Phytopharmaceutical Products from Caprifoliaceae Family Using GC-MS and LC-MS

Gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry were used to investigate three phytopharmaceutical products from Caprifoliaceae family: Viburnum opulus, Sambucus ebulus and Lonicera tatarica fruits. In terms of interspecific variability, the GC-MS analyses indicated that the qualitative content of the ether extracts is not similar for these species. Among the identified compounds via GC-MS, the ones that have pharmaceutical importance include several classes of secondary metabolites: polyphenols, sterols and fatty acids. Other compounds identified include various alkanes (in Sambucus ebulus species), organic acids, alcohols, aldehydes or ethers. LC-MS analysis of ultrasonicated tinctures revealed the presence of polyphenols with outstanding curative properties (antioxidant, antibacterial and antineoplazic) even at extremely low concentrations.