Ziziphus genus (Rhamnaceae) includes many species that grow in arid and semiarid areas widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin. Ziziphus spp. have been used for thousands of years in folklore medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as urinary troubles, diabetes, skin infections, fever, diarrhea, insomnia, bronchitis, and as sedative and hypoglycemic agents.1,2 Among different species, Z. lotus (L.) Lam. has shown considerable attention for its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. The genus is characterized by the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins.1 The aim of the present study was to investigate the methanolic stem bark extract of a wild species of jujube, Z. lotus (L.) Lam., grown in Sicily. The chemical profile was defined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS) analysis whereas antioxidant and biological activities were investigated by in vitro assays. Metabolomic analysis revealed that Z. lotus stem bark is characterized by a rich phytocomplex where different chemical classes of compounds are represented like phenols, cyclopeptide alkaloids, and triterpenoid saponins, some of which here detected for the first time. The biological activity was evaluated in terms of tyrosinase enzyme inhibition (monophenolase IC50 = 333.15 µg/mL; diphenolase IC50 = 110.35 µg/mL). In addition, Z. lotus extract showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity: ABTS, IC50 = 10.80 µg/mL > DPPH, IC50 = 81.37 µg/mL > FRAP, IC50 = 142.29 µg/mL. Since the investigated extract showed good antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, it could be considered a rich source of compounds to be used against free radical related disease such as skin aging and any other common health problems. Taken together, these results suggest possible novel applications of wild jujube stem bark as a source of potential skin-care agents with several uses in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Metabolomic profile and biological activities of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. stem bark
A. Braca;M. De Leo
2022-01-01
Abstract
Ziziphus genus (Rhamnaceae) includes many species that grow in arid and semiarid areas widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin. Ziziphus spp. have been used for thousands of years in folklore medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as urinary troubles, diabetes, skin infections, fever, diarrhea, insomnia, bronchitis, and as sedative and hypoglycemic agents.1,2 Among different species, Z. lotus (L.) Lam. has shown considerable attention for its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. The genus is characterized by the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins.1 The aim of the present study was to investigate the methanolic stem bark extract of a wild species of jujube, Z. lotus (L.) Lam., grown in Sicily. The chemical profile was defined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS) analysis whereas antioxidant and biological activities were investigated by in vitro assays. Metabolomic analysis revealed that Z. lotus stem bark is characterized by a rich phytocomplex where different chemical classes of compounds are represented like phenols, cyclopeptide alkaloids, and triterpenoid saponins, some of which here detected for the first time. The biological activity was evaluated in terms of tyrosinase enzyme inhibition (monophenolase IC50 = 333.15 µg/mL; diphenolase IC50 = 110.35 µg/mL). In addition, Z. lotus extract showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity: ABTS, IC50 = 10.80 µg/mL > DPPH, IC50 = 81.37 µg/mL > FRAP, IC50 = 142.29 µg/mL. Since the investigated extract showed good antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, it could be considered a rich source of compounds to be used against free radical related disease such as skin aging and any other common health problems. Taken together, these results suggest possible novel applications of wild jujube stem bark as a source of potential skin-care agents with several uses in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
