Phytochemical characterization, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, enzymatic profiling, and cytotoxicity of Bidens pilosa and Croton sp. from Colombia for applications in skin health

Sep 30, 2026

This study investigated the chemical and biological potential of Bidens pilosa and Croton sp. plants from Colombia, collected in Santander de Quilichao (Cauca) and San Basilio de Palenque (Bolivar). Chemical profiling used UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-HRMS, while total phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified by colorimetric methods. Antioxidant capacity, enzyme inhibition for skin aging (tyrosinase, hyaluronidase, collagenase), and cytotoxicity in keratinocytes and melanoma cells were evaluated. Results showed distinctive phytochemical profiles, significant antioxidant capacity, low tyrosinase inhibition, enzyme modulation, limited sun protection, and cytotoxicity selectivity with antimelanoma activity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Colombia’s biodiversity and bioactive potential

Rationale for selecting Bidens pilosa and Croton sp.

OPEN ACCESS Citation: Quintero-Rincón P, CaballeroGallardo K, Galeano E, Flórez-Acosta O (2026) Phytochemical characterization, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, enzymatic profiling, and cytotoxicity of Bidens pilosa and Croton sp. from Colombia for applications in skin health. PLoS One 21(1): e0340869. [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal). pone.0340869 Editor: José M. Alvarez-Suarez, Universidad San Francisco de Quito-Campus Cumbaya: Universidad San Francisco de Quito, ECUADOR Received: October 6, 2025 Accepted: December 27, 2025 Published: January 9, 2026 Copyright: © 2026 Quintero-Rincón et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. RESEARCH ARTICLE Phytochemical characterization, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, enzymatic profiling, and cytotoxicity of Bidens pilosa and Croton sp. from Colombia for applications in skin health Patricia Quintero-Rincón1,2*, Karina Caballero-Gallardo2,3, Elkin Galeano4, Oscar Flórez-Acosta1 1 Research Group Design and Formulation of Medicines, Cosmetics, and Related, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia, 2 Functional Toxicology Group. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia, 3 Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia, 4 Bioactive Substances Research Group, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia * [patricia.quintero1@udea.edu.co](patricia.quintero1@udea.edu.co) Abstract This study investigated the chemical and biological potential of Bidens pilosa and Croton sp. , plants from megadiverse ecosystems in Colombia, collected in Santander de Quilichao (Cauca) and San Basilio de Palenque (Bolivar) . The chemical profile was analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-HRMS, and the total phenolic and flavonoid content was quantified using colorimetric methods. Antioxidant capacity was assessed using methods that evaluate reducing power and electron transfer mechanisms. The inhibition of key enzymes in skin aging, such as tyrosinase, hyaluronidase, and collagenase, was evaluated, as well as cytotoxicity in keratinocytes and human melanoma cells. Chemical characterization revealed distinctive phytochemical profiles: B. pilosa contained 21.1 mg GAE/g DT of phenolics and 64.6 mg RE/g DT of flavonoids, dominated by p-coumaric acid and rosmarinic acid, while Croton sp. exhibited higher levels of phenolics (169 .4 mg GAE/g DT) and 54.1 mg RE/g DT of flavonoids, highlighting rosmarinic acid, p-coumaric acid and quercetin. Both extracts showed significant antioxidant capacity and enzyme modulation, including moderate collagenase inhibition (53 .9–55.0%), high hyaluronidase inhibition (64 .5–76.5%), and low tyrosinase inhibition (11 .1–12.7%), suggesting protection of extracellular matrix and hyaluronic acid during skin aging. Sun protection factor was limited (SPF: 14.5 for B. pilosa and 11.6 for Croton sp.), with low ultraviolet absorption, consistent with low antityrosinase activity. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that B. pilosa was not toxic to HaCaT keratinocytes (IC₅₀ > 500 µg/mL) and displayed antimelanoma activity PLOS One | [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340869](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340869) January 9, 2026 1 / 15 Data availability statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MINCIENCIAS) and the Francisco José de Caldas National Fund, Grant 112721-196-2024-FIDUCOLDEX, Grant RC-112721-416-2023 and Grant RC 466-20

FAQs

How were the chemical profiles and phenolic/flavonoid contents measured?

Chemical profiling was performed using UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-HRMS, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified with colorimetric methods.

Which skin-aging related enzymes were evaluated, and what inhibition pattern was reported?

Tyrosinase, hyaluronidase, and collagenase were tested. The extracts showed moderate collagenase inhibition, high hyaluronidase inhibition, and low tyrosinase inhibition.

What did the cytotoxicity assays show for keratinocytes and melanoma cells?

Bidens pilosa was not toxic to HaCaT keratinocytes (IC₅₀ > 500 µg/mL) and showed antimelanoma activity on A375 cells (IC₅₀ = 398.6 µg/mL), while Croton sp. showed moderate selectivity toward melanoma cells.

Sep 30, 2026

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