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In this study, almond skin of Prunus dulcis L. variety Casteltermini was characterised for its chemical composition and for the inhibitory activity towards food associated microorganisms belonging to pathogenic (Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytgenes), spoilage (Pseudomonas poae and Brochotrix thermospacta) and useful (Levilactobacillus brevis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) groups. The n-hexane extract of P. dulcis skin, investigated by GC–MS, evidenced linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids as the main abundant compounds. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33862 growth was strongly limited by n-hexane extract and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was 25.5 mg/mL. These results highlight the potential of almond by-products as food bio-preservatives as well as pharmaceutical products.

This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the chemical profile obtained by HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis, the inhibitory activity of enzymes linked to obesity (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase) and the antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching tests) of ethanol extracts of bulbs (BE) and aerial parts (APE) from Allium commutatum Guss. (known in Italy as “aglio delle isole”). The chemical profile revealed alliin as the main abundant compound with values of 31.5 and 38.8mg/g extract for BE and APE, respectively. APE is rich also in quercetin (38.5mg/g extract) and luteolin (31.8mg/g extract). Bulbs extract exhibited the highest activity as inhibitor of enzymes linked to obesity. Except for DPPH test, APE showed the highest antioxidant potential with IC50 of 7.6 and 56.6μg/mL in ABTS and β-carotene bleaching test after 60min of incubation, respectively. In conclusion, the present investigation revealed A. commutatum bulbs and aerial parts as a promising source of inhibitors of enzyme linked to the obesity and of antioxidant compounds.

In this study, the essential oils obtained from the leaves of Myrtus communis L. stored in a collection orchard located at the experimental station ‘Orleans’ of the Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy) were investigated. The essential oils, analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, revealed the presence of α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, limonene and myrtenyl acetate as dominant constituents. The neuroprotective effects of M. communis essential oils were investigated by analysing the antioxidant properties and cholinesterases (acetylcholinesterase, AChE, and butyrylcholinesterase, BChE) inhibitory activity. Essential oils from Scopello accession possessed a promising radical scavenging potential with IC50 values of 71.4 and 75.9μg/mL for EO1 and EO2, respectively. Essential oil from Monte Pellegrino (EO5) showed the highest cholinesterase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 96.0 and 87.9μg/mL for AChE and BChE, respectively. Significant result was obtained also with EO1 against the BChE (IC50 of 77.8μg/mL). Data on essential oil together with antioxidant effects were used as variables to set a matrix for statistical analysis. Results suggest that M. communis leaves EO could be potentially used in pharmaceutical field.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the chemical profile and biological activity of Diplotaxis erucoides subsp. erucoides (L.) DC. (Brassicaceae) collected in Sicily (Italy). RESULTS: Liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/HRMS) analysis of the ethanol extract revealed the presence of 42 compounds – glucosinolates, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, and oxylipins. The extract was tested for its antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS), ferric reducing ability power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests. Promising protection from lipid peroxidation was observed after 30 min of incubation in a β-carotene bleaching test (IC50 of 3.32 μg mL−1). The inhibition of carbohydrates-hydrolyzing enzymes resulted in IC50 values of 85.18 and 92.36 μg mL−1 for α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Significant inhibition against lipase enzyme was observed (IC50 of 61.27 μg mL−1). CONCLUSION: Diplotaxis erucoides can be considered a potential source of antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic bioactives. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses, the antioxidant activities evaluated by different in vitro assays namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2&prime, azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Ability Power (FRAP), and &beta, carotene bleaching tests, and the inhibitory effects of enzymes linked to obesity (lipase, &alpha, amylase, and &alpha, glucosidase) of fixed seed oil of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.). Fourteen compounds were identified. Linoleic acid (28.22%) was the most abundant followed by palmitic acid (19.56%). Malvalic acid (16.15%), sterculic acid (11.11%), and dihydrosterculic acid (2.74%) were also detected. C. speciosa fixed oil exerted a promising ABTS radicals scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 10.21 &micro, g/mL, whereas an IC50 of 77.44 &micro, g/mL against DPPH+ radicals was found. C. speciosa fixed oil inhibited lipase with an IC50 value of 127.57 &micro, g/mL. The present investigation confirmed the functional properties of C. speciosa fixed oil, and proposes its use as valuable source of bioactive constituents.

This work proposes for the first time a model for reusing almond (Prunus dulcis cv. Casteltermini from Sicily, Southern Italy) skin to formulate a new functional blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius Schott) jam. For this purpose, blackberries were analysed fresh and as jam, traditionally prepared with a minimum fruit amount of 80%. Different percentages of almond skin (20, 15, and 10% w/w) were added to jam. The phytochemical profile of enriched jam was investigated by LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS analyses. Anthocyanins, hydrolysable tannins, and triterpenoids were identified in a blackberry extract, while proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and oxylipins were identified in an almond extract. The n-hexane extract of P. dulcis skin, investigated by GC–MS, evidenced linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids as the main abundant compounds. Samples were investigated for their antioxidant activity using DPPH, ABTS, β-carotene, and FRAP tests. The hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects were studied by α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory assays. In order to evaluate the effect of thermal process on enriched jam bioactivity, pasteurisation was applied. An increase in activities for all samples was observed, in particular for jam enriched with 20% w/w of almond skin. Based on obtained data, and supported by sensory analysis, we propose enriched jam as a promising source of compounds useful for preventing diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. angustifolia is a plant with an age-old use for the production of manna. However, it is also a valuable source of fixed oil rich-seeds. In the present study we examined the chemical and biological properties of this oil in order to support a possible application in foodstuffs, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. Fatty acid composition, volatile and phenolic substances were evaluated. Oleic and linoleic acid represented 45.5% and 50.0%, respectively, of the total fatty acid composition. Among polar phenolic substances identified (secoiridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, phenolic acids and alcohols, flavonoids, coumarins) isoverbascoside is for the first time reported in this species. Volatiles were mainly characterized by sesquiterpenes. The oil showed good antioxidant activity, in terms of ABTS radical scavenging activity, with an IC 50 value of 28.2 μg/mL. The antiproliferative activity was also investigated: amelanotic melanoma (C32) and lung carcinoma (A549) cells were the most sensitive with IC 50 values comparable to that of the positive control vinblastine. These findings shed light on the potential use of F. angustifolia subsp. angustifolia fixed oil in nutraceutics and cosmetics.

Pancratium maritimumstems, flowers, bulbs, and fruits extracts were investigated for their antiproliferative and antioxidant properties. Total phenols and total flavonoids were also determined. Thein vitroantiproliferative activity was tested against seven cancer cell lines such as C32, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, PC3, A549, MCF-7, and LNCaP by using SRB assay. Interesting results were obtained with stems ethanol extract (ET1) against C32 cells (IC50of 27.1μg/mL) and fruits aqueous extract (AQ) against MCF-7 cell line (IC50of 36.5μg/mL). To define the antioxidant activity, four tests such as DPPH, ABTS FRAP, andβ-carotene bleaching tests were used.The most promising ABTS scavenging capacity was observed with fruits ethanol extract (ET1) that showed an IC50value of 6.9μg/mL. According to the correlation results, the phenols and flavonoids content could provide a fundamental contribution to the antioxidant and antiproliferative activity ofP. maritimumextracts.

This study investigates the seed oils obtained from two different varieties of Opuntia ficus-indica (Sanguigna and Surfarina) growing in Sicily, Italy. Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction procedures are used to obtain the seed oils. The fatty acid profile, γ-tocopherols, carotenoid content, and the bioactivity in terms of the antioxidant effects (using ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching tests), and carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzyme inhibitory activity (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) are determined. The extraction procedure does not significantly affect the fatty acid composition of the oil, but it does affect the tocopherol and carotenoid contents, as well as the antioxidant and inhibitory activities. All the oil samples are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic, and oleic acids. Soxhlet extraction proves to be the best extraction procedure to enrich the oils in γ-tocopherol. Relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) and global antioxidant score (GAS) analyses are applied to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the Sanguigna variety oil extracted with the Soxhlet apparatus that is shown to be the most active. The same oil also shows the highest α-amylase inhibitory activity (IC 50 value of 40.9 μg mL −1 ), which is better than that reported for acarbose used as a positive control. Practical Applications: This study is the first to evaluate the effect of oil extraction technologies on the bioactive compound levels and antioxidant and hypoglycaemic activities of cactus pear seed oil, which is a by-product of fruit processing. The findings will contribute to the valorization of food by-products. The results provide useful information to select the most valuable technological conditions for oil extraction to preserve the bioactive compounds and the biological activity of the vegetable by-product extracts, such as seed oil. Cactus pear seed oil obtained by the traditional extraction procedure (Soxhlet) represents a promising source of healthy compounds, particularly of carotenoids and γ-tocopherol, used not only as antioxidants to preserve lipid components in food preparation but also as functional ingredients due to their hypoglycaemic effect. Effect of extraction procedure on chemical composition, antioxidant potential, and hypoglycaemic activity of cactus pear seed oils.