On-line screening and identification of polyphenolic antioxidant compounds of Convolvulus trabutianus

Convolvulus trabutianus Schweinf. & Muschl. is an endemic plant from northern Sahara used in folk medicine. Herein we report, the isolation, characterization and evaluation of the radical scavenging properties of twenty three compounds from different extracts of this species by on-line HPLC-ABTS^•+ screening. These compounds include nine phenolic acids: 2, 6, 10–16, two phytosterols: 3–4, four coumarins: 5, 7–9, two quinic acids: 21 and 22 and six flavonoids: 1, 17–20 and 23 among which the most active were: 10, 16, 21 and 22. All the extracts showed a significant antioxidant activity on-line. These results were validated off-line by ORAC and TEAC assays. Four compounds: 1, 5, 18 and 19 were described for the first time from the Convolvulaceae family, whereas compounds 2, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 21 were new for the genus Convolvulus.