Polyphenol analysis by LC-MS/MS from the fruits of Clidemia rubra

The tropical forests of the world display a wide diversity of edible botanical species with no previous analysis of their bioactive constituents. When considering the Amazon rainforest, this biodiversity is even greater. Among innumerous species, Clidemia rubra Aubl. Mart., popularly known as buxuxu is a promising source of polyphenols [1]. This lack of information about its chemical composition and the pharmacological potentials brings opportunities for the natural products chemistry field. Therefore, the aim of this work was to perform a qualitative preliminary analysis from the chemical composition of buxuxu berries by means of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The extract obtained with fresh fruits extracted with acetone:water (1:1, v/v) displayed the presence of polyphenols from the flavonoid class. Trough comparison of the spectrum profiles with the literature [1] enabled the dereplication of myricetin glucosides (1-3), quercetin glucosides (4-7). The identified compounds are known as antioxidative substances, an indicative of the nutraceutical capabilities of this unexplored fruit source.