Flavone composition and antihypercholesterolemic and antihyperglycemic activities of Chrysanthemum coronarium L.

Five flavones were isolated from Chrysanthemum coronarium L., four of which were isolated for the first time from the genus Chrysanthemum. Two were the flavonoid aglycones 5,7-dihydroxy-3,6,4'-trimethoxyflavone (1) and scutellarin-6,7-dimethyl ether (2). A new flavonoid glycoside, apigenin-7-O-[2"(6'''-O-beta-D-acetylglucopyranosyl)]-6"-O-acetylglucopyranoside (3), along with two known ones, i. e. apigenin-7-O-(2"-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4) and 6-methoxy quercetin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), were identified. Structures were elucidated by NMR and MS. The therapeutic value of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts, respectively, in rats suffering from hypercholesterolemia--as a consequence of high-fat diet-and hyperglycemia--as a consequence of hypercholesterolemia and low doses of streptozotocin--was investigated through determination of biochemical markers and histopathology. The ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed remarkable results, followed by the petroleum ether extract.