Preliminary Phytochemical and Biological Evaluation of Rudbeckia hirta Flowers

Abstract

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta L.), a flowering plant with various traditional medicinal uses, has recently garnered interest for its therapeutic properties. However, little is known about the potential therapeutic activities of the plant species. The current study focused on conducting a comprehensive investigation into the chemical composition and bioactivity of black-eyed Susan cultivated in Romania. Untargeted metabolite profiling and UHPLC-HR-MS phytochemical analysis of the studied extract revealed the presence of more than 250 compounds pertaining to different classes, including sesquiterpene lactones, polyphenolic acids, flavonoids, amino acids, and fatty acids. The tested extract exhibited inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria and showed promising antifungal activity. It also demonstrated potent antioxidant properties through iron chelation and 15-LOX inhibition capacities, as well as inhibition of cell growth, particularly on the MCF-7 cell line, suggesting potential anticancer effects. Therefore, current research provides valuable information on the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor potential of Rudbeckia hirta flowers. Implicitly, the discovery of such a wide range of biosubstances, together with the biological activity observed for the studied extract in these preliminary in vitro studies, paves the way for future investigation of the potential application of the plant in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors.

Extraction and assessment of Rudbeckia hirta extracts’ larvicidal activity on lackey moth (Malacosoma neustria Testacea): toxicity, nutritional effects and enzyme activities

“…Through analysis of the chemical constituents of RHE, we found that RHE contains 22 compounds, ten of which were avone or avonoid derivatives, accounting for 75.47% of the total compound contents. The extracts of R. hirta have revealed the presence of more than 250 compounds, including sesquiterpene lactones, polyphenolic acids, avonoids, amino acids, and fatty acids (Burlec et al, 2023). We believe that the insecticidal activity of RHE was mainly attributed to the avone and avonoid derivatives.…”

“…This plant has been used to treat fevers, colds, and headaches, and was believed to have anti-in ammatory and analgesic properties (Michael et al, 2014). R. hirta was also thought to have antimicrobial properties (Burlec et al, 2023;Setzer 2018). The ethanol extracts of R. hirta were shown to exert repellent effects against the Popillia japonica (Metzger et al, 1932).…”