Pistacia lentiscus L. edible oil: green extraction with bio-based solvents, metabolite profiling and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity☆

This study assesses, qualitatively and quantitatively, the performance of ten bio-based solvents to replace hexane for the extraction of oil from Pistacia lentiscus edible fruits. Solvent screening was achieved through theoretical approach using the COnductor-like Screening MOdel for Realistic Solvation (COSMO-RS) predictions and an experimental protocol based on GC-FID and HPTLC analysis. Unsupervised multivariate analyses were performed on GC-FID and HPTLC data. Experiments corroborated theoretical predictions indicating that MeTHF was the best alternative solvent to replace hexane. Moreover, the obtained extract exhibited a good anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting by 91.9% NO release in RAW 264.7 macrophages. These findings highlighted the potential of green solvents especially MeTHF in lipid extraction and exhibited that P. lentiscus oil presents a potential anti-inflammatory property and great nutritional value, notably high amount of oleic and linoleic acid, thus encouraging its valorization in food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industry

Improved recovery of antioxidant compounds from refined pumpkin peel extract: a mixture design method approach

This study employed the mixture design method to determine optimal solvent combinations, aiming to obtain refined extracts from squash peels with enhanced antioxidant properties. We optimized extraction solvents, focusing on recovering the total phenolic compounds (TPC) and increased antioxidant properties using a second-order polynomial equation through the response surface methodology (RSM). Six solvents (MeOH, Hexane, DCM, EtOAc, BuOH, and water) were assessed for their effects on TPC and antioxidant activity in preliminary experiments. The refined extracts underwent a HPLC analysis for a phenolic composition determination and were further evaluated for their antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. The results revealed a rich phenolic content in the refined extract from peels of Bejaoui landrace, primarily catechin (8.06 mg/g dry extract (DE)), followed by epicatechin and kaempferol (5 mg/g DE). Antibacterial tests against Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus showed significant antimicrobial activities, especially for Karkoubi and batati landraces, where the growth inhibitions were 99%, 96%, 97%, and 80% and 94%, 89%, 98%, and 96% for the respective bacteria. The peel extracts exhibited a negligible cytotoxicity on the RAW264.7 cell line, even at high concentrations. Our findings emphasize the potential antioxidant and antibacterial properties of peel extracts due to diverse phenolic compounds, suggesting the potential use of squash peels in the food and nutraceuticals industries as sources of natural antimicrobial agents.This study was supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and was funded under the scope of the Project PulpIng-H2020-PRIMA 2019—Section 2—Multi-topic 2019. To the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020); to FCT for the contract of L. Barros (CEEC Institutional); to the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development and Investments under the PRIMA Program. PRIMA is an Art.185 initiative supported and co-funded under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Program for Research and Plants 2022, 11, 800 16 of 18 Innovation (Prima2019-08).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Green Solvent to Substitute Hexane for Bioactive Lipids Extraction from Black Cumin and Basil Seeds

A comparative study of bioactive lipids extraction from black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds using conventional petroleum-based solvent and green solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) was performed. MeTHF extraction allowed obtaining the highest oil yield in black cumin (34%). Regarding fatty acids composition, linoleic acid (61%) and α-linolenic (78%) were relevant in black cumin and basil green and conventionally extracted oils, respectively. Besides, MeTHF allowed obtaining higher tocopherols and total phenolics contents in black cumin (400 mg/kg of oil and 12 mg EGA/g oil) and basil (317 mg/kg oil and 5 mg EGA/g oil) compared to hexane-extracted ones. The content of major phenolic compounds in the two seed oils, trans-hydroxycinnamic acid, rosmarinic acid, and thymol was enhanced by MeTHF extraction. Furthermore, MeTHF-extracted oils possess stronger antioxidant activities (radical scavenging, total antioxidant, and β-carotene bleaching activities) and high and similar anti-inflammatory capacity to hexane-extracted oils. In conclusion, the results revealed that MeTHF is efficient to replace hazardous solvents to extract oil from black cumin and basil seeds rich in compounds relevant to the human diet, including essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 and n-3), tocopherols, and phenolic compounds with improved biological activities.Peer reviewe

In Vitro Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Mechanisms of Action of Ethanolic Extracts of Five Tunisian Plants against Bacteria

Pistacia lentiscus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Erica multiflora, Calicotome villosa, and Phillyrea latifolia were considered important medicinal herbs and were used to treat various ailments. The present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ethanolic extracts (EEs). P. lentiscus and R. officinalis were the richest species in phenolic compounds. Similarly, both species showed the highest values of flavonoids. While the EEs of P. lentiscus, E. multiflora, and C. villosa had higher amounts of tannins. These phenolic compounds were evaluated by two different tests, namely diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric iron-reducing power (FRAP). The IC50 values were found to be significant (p < 0.05) for P. lentiscus and E. multiflora. Similarly, both plants showed the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). This study has been conducted to evaluate the antibacterial potential of EEs against selected bacteria—Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 6017)—and determine their modes of action. The ethanolic extracts inhibited bacterial growth by producing concentration-dependent zones of inhibition. Treatment with these extracts at their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the viability of bacteria. The extracts did not induce total lysis. Bacteria organisms treated with EEs at MICs showed a significant (p < 0.05) loss of tolerance to NaCl (5%). Our results highlighted the use of plant extracts as natural antibacterials that can be safely used in health care and led to the understanding of the antibacterial mechanism of plant extracts

Pistacia lentiscus L. edible oil: green extraction with bio-based solvents, metabolite profiling and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity

This study assesses, qualitatively and quantitatively, the performance of ten bio-based solvents to replace hexane for the extraction of oil from Pistacia lentiscus edible fruits. Solvent screening was achieved through theoretical approach using the COnductor-like Screening MOdel for Realistic Solvation (COSMO-RS) predictions and an experimental protocol based on GC-FID and HPTLC analysis. Unsupervised multivariate analyses were performed on GC-FID and HPTLC data. Experiments corroborated theoretical predictions indicating that MeTHF was the best alternative solvent to replace hexane. Moreover, the obtained extract exhibited a good anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting by 91.9% NO release in RAW 264.7 macrophages. These findings highlighted the potential of green solvents especially MeTHF in lipid extraction and exhibited that P. lentiscus oil presents a potential anti-inflammatory property and great nutritional value, notably high amount of oleic and linoleic acid, thus encouraging its valorization in food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industry.Cette étude consiste à évaluer, qualitativement et quantitativement, la performance de dix agro-solvants afin de remplacer l’hexane pour l’extraction de l’huile à partir des fruits comestibles de Pistacia lentiscus. Le criblage des solvants a été réalisé par une approche théorique en utilisant des outils de prédiction tels que COSMO-RS et une approche expérimentale basée sur les analyses CG-DIF et HPTLC. Des analyses multivariées ont été effectuées sur les données CG-DIF et HPTLC. Les résultats expérimentaux ont confirmé les prédictions théoriques indiquant que le MeTHF était le meilleur solvant alternatif pour substituer l’hexane. En outre, l’extrait obtenu présentait une bonne activité anti-inflammatoire, inhibant de 91,9% la libération de NO dans les macrophages RAW264.7. Ces résultats ont mis en évidence le potentiel des solvants verts, en particulier du MeTHF dans l’extraction lipidique et ont montré que l’huile de P. lentiscus présentait une activité antiinflammatoire potentielle et une grande valeur nutritionnelle, notamment une teneur élevée en acide oléique et linoléique, encourageant ainsi sa valorisation dans les industries alimentaire, cosmétique ou pharmaceutique

<i>Arbutus unedo:</i> Innovative Source of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Tyrosinase Phenolics for Novel Cosmeceuticals

Phenolic compounds are valuable cosmetic ingredients. They display skin protective potential and play an important role in preserving cosmetic formulations due to their ability to neutralize free radicals. Considering this fact, the current study aims to obtain a phenolic-enriched fraction from Arbutus unedo for topical application in cosmeceutical products. The chemical composition and the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tyrosinase activities of different extracts from the plant were investigated and compared. Samples were obtained by maceration, reflux, and ultrasound using water and ethanol. The findings indicated that the extraction methods impacted the phytochemical composition of the extracts. The high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC–DAD) analysis showed a wide range of phenolic compounds, comprising phenolic acids and flavonoids. Among the extracts, the water reflux had significant levels of both total polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins and possessed the most important content on hyperoside. It displayed the most significant antioxidant activities with high antiradical and reducing power, as well as strong total antioxidant activity. It possesses a promising whitening effect with high anti-tyrosinase activities. Furthermore, it shows no cytotoxicity and moderate anti-inflammatory activity. Finally, due to its high yield efficiency and activities, water reflux was selected to formulate a cosmeceutical oil-in-water nanoemulsion that displayed optimal pH and stability

Arbutus unedo: Innovative Source of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Tyrosinase Phenolics for Novel Cosmeceuticals

Phenolic compounds are valuable cosmetic ingredients. They display skin protective potential and play an important role in preserving cosmetic formulations due to their ability to neutralize free radicals. Considering this fact, the current study aims to obtain a phenolic-enriched fraction from Arbutus unedo for topical application in cosmeceutical products. The chemical composition and the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tyrosinase activities of different extracts from the plant were investigated and compared. Samples were obtained by maceration, reflux, and ultrasound using water and ethanol. The findings indicated that the extraction methods impacted the phytochemical composition of the extracts. The high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC&ndash;DAD) analysis showed a wide range of phenolic compounds, comprising phenolic acids and flavonoids. Among the extracts, the water reflux had significant levels of both total polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins and possessed the most important content on hyperoside. It displayed the most significant antioxidant activities with high antiradical and reducing power, as well as strong total antioxidant activity. It possesses a promising whitening effect with high anti-tyrosinase activities. Furthermore, it shows no cytotoxicity and moderate anti-inflammatory activity. Finally, due to its high yield efficiency and activities, water reflux was selected to formulate a cosmeceutical oil-in-water nanoemulsion that displayed optimal pH and stability

The Mediterranean region under climate change

This book has been published by Allenvi (French National Alliance for Environmental Research) to coincide with the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakesh. It is the outcome of work by academic researchers on both sides of the Mediterranean and provides a remarkable scientific review of the mechanisms of climate change and its impacts on the environment, the economy, health and Mediterranean societies. It will also be valuable in developing responses that draw on “scientific evidence” to address the issues of adaptation, resource conservation, solutions and risk prevention. Reflecting the full complexity of the Mediterranean environment, the book is a major scientific contribution to the climate issue, where various scientific considerations converge to break down the boundaries between disciplines