Extraction and Characterization of Bioactive Based on Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Analysis of Natural Products and Pharmaceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 7231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança 5300-252, Portugal
Interests: nutritional and chemical characterization of natural matrices and their mixtures, namely, fruits and edible petals; analysis of the phenolic composition and evaluation of the bioactivity of plant matrices; nutritional value, chemical characterization, phenolic composition, and bioactivity of infusions of edible petals; techniques for the characterization of natural products (chromatography and mass spectrometry) and evaluation of differentiated bioactivities (i.e., cytotoxicity in different human tumor cell lines and antimicrobial potential against several microbial strains); valorization of natural products; development of functional foods by direct use or incorporation of extracts/fractions/compounds of vegetal origin; optimization of extraction procedures; chemical characterization and structural elucidation of natural extracts/fractions; stability and bioactivity studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: chemical characterization and evaluation of the bioactive properties of wild mushrooms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: chemistry of natural products; extraction, identification, fractionation, and isolation of chemical compounds in natural matrices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIMO—Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: natural products; bioactive compound

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural sources of bioactive compounds are increasingly sought after by consumers, and the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Natural compounds are most often the compounds responsible for different bioactivities, and for their characterization, it is necessary to resort to extraction and separation techniques that are simple, economical, and environmentally friendly. The study of green technologies is essential in finding effective alternatives that do not compromise consumer safety.

The focus of this special edition is to promote research to obtain compounds from natural matrices to develop products with beneficial effects on health and which can be easily adopted by different industries (food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals) to reach the final consumer.

Dr. Tania C. S. P. Pires
Dr. Filipa S. Reis
Dr. Custódio Miguel Lobo Roriz
Dr. Manuel Ayuso Vilaboa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • phenolic compounds
  • cosmetic
  • pharmaceutical
  • food industry
  • plant extract
  • extraction/separation
  • high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
  • LC-MS/MS

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 660 KiB  
Article
Aesculus hippocastanum L.: A Simple Ornamental Plant or a Source of Compelling Molecules for Industry?
by Asma Dridi, Filipa S. Reis, Tânia C. S. P. Pires, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Carla Pereira, Khalil Zaghdoudi, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Lillian Barros and João C. M. Barreira
Separations 2023, 10(3), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10030160 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1294
Abstract
Aesculus hippocastanum L., also known as horse chestnut, is an ornamental tree whose seeds are mostly discarded in landfills in the regions where they are grown. However, recent studies have shown that these seeds can be a source of interesting compounds for several [...] Read more.
Aesculus hippocastanum L., also known as horse chestnut, is an ornamental tree whose seeds are mostly discarded in landfills in the regions where they are grown. However, recent studies have shown that these seeds can be a source of interesting compounds for several industries. This work aimed to chemically characterize horse chestnut seeds at the level of compounds recognized for their wide bioactivity, i.e., organic acids, including phenolic compounds, using chromatographic methodologies (UFLC-DAD and LC-DAD-ESI/MSn). In addition, the bioactivity of these seeds was evaluated by in vitro methodologies, seeking to relate the respective (bio)activity to the compounds present in the endocarp (husk), seed coat (skin), and peeled seed (pulp). The antioxidant activity (lipid peroxidation inhibition and oxidative haemolysis inhibition), antibacterial potential (against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) and cytotoxicity (in human tumour cell lines and porcine liver primary cells) were evaluated. Kaempferol-O-pentoside-O-hexoside-O-hexoside was the main phenolic identified in the pulp. At the same time, (-)-epicatechin and β-type (epi)catechin dimer were the major phenolics present in husk and skin, respectively. In general, A. hippocastanum extracts presented antioxidant and antibacterial potential, without toxicity up to the maximal tested dose. Overall, these findings anticipate potential applications of A. hippocastanum seeds in food- or pharmaceutical-related uses. Full article
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19 pages, 971 KiB  
Article
Volatile and Non-Volatile Content Determination and Biological Activity Evaluation of Fresh Humulus lupulus L. (cv. Chinook) Leaves and Inflorescences
by Sara Vitalini, Marta Di Martile, Vittoria Cicaloni, Matteo Iannone, Laura Salvini, Donatella Del Bufalo, Marcello Iriti and Stefania Garzoli
Separations 2023, 10(2), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10020091 - 29 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1620
Abstract
In this work, the fresh leaves and inflorescences of Humulus lupulus L. cv. Chinook hops were investigated in order to describe their chemical composition and evaluate their biological activities. The analyses were carried out first on fresh untreated samples and then on pulverized [...] Read more.
In this work, the fresh leaves and inflorescences of Humulus lupulus L. cv. Chinook hops were investigated in order to describe their chemical composition and evaluate their biological activities. The analyses were carried out first on fresh untreated samples and then on pulverized ones using the SPME-GC-MS technique. In total, forty-two molecules belonging to different chemical classes were identified, and among these, twenty-three were terpene compounds. In order to carry out the activity assays, the powders were subjected to extraction with two different solvents (methanol and distilled water) by stirring and subsequent sonication at room temperature. To chemically characterize the extracts, the methanolic ones were analyzed by direct injection into the GC-MS apparatus, while the aqueous ones were analyzed by DI-SPME-GC-MS. In addition, with the aim to obtain information on the non-volatile content of the methanolic extracts, they were also subjected to derivatization, and the silylated derivatives were analyzed by GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was then evaluated by means of DPPH and ABTS assays after the determination of the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The greatest effects were observed on the methanolic extracts rather than on the aqueous ones. Furthermore, a preliminary study on the cytotoxic power of the methanolic extracts was also conducted on three different human cancer cell lines, such as non-small cell lung cancer (H1299), melanoma (A375) and breast cancer (MCF7). The obtained results showed that the two extracts induced a marginal effect on reducing breast tumor, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation. Full article
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13 pages, 620 KiB  
Article
GC-MS Analysis and Bioactivities of the Essential Oil of Suaeda aegyptiaca
by Elham Amin, Ahlam Elwekeel, Nasrah F. Alshariedh, Mohamed Sadek Abdel-Bakky and Marwa H. A. Hassan
Separations 2022, 9(12), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations9120439 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Suaeda aegyptiaca is a halophytic plant widely growing in northeast Africa and Asia. The current study reports on the GC-MS analysis of S. aegyptiaca essential oil. The essential oil was prepared using three different methods: cold n-hexane extraction (CHE), hot n-hexane extraction (HHE), [...] Read more.
Suaeda aegyptiaca is a halophytic plant widely growing in northeast Africa and Asia. The current study reports on the GC-MS analysis of S. aegyptiaca essential oil. The essential oil was prepared using three different methods: cold n-hexane extraction (CHE), hot n-hexane extraction (HHE), and hydro-distillation extraction (HDE). The GC-MS analysis detected twenty-eight compounds in both CHE (97.28%) and HHE (97.35%) and twenty compounds in HDE (98.65%). 2-methyloctacosane (48.72%); 11-decyldocosane (29.20%); and 1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid diisooctyl ester (57.87%) were the main constituents in CHE, HHE, and HDE, respectively. Free radical scavenging activity testing using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) revealed the notable anti-oxidant potential of HDE (IC50 0.358 mg/mL) compared to ascorbic acid (IC50 0.264 mg/mL). Moreover, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity testing using COX-1 and COX-2 showed the notable activity of HDE (IC50 5.50 µg/mL and 2.59 µg/mL, respectively). The observed anti-inflammatory activity of HDE was further confirmed by the characteristic decrease in TNF-α levels in RAW264.7 to 572.20 Pg/mL compared to the decrease of 442.80 Pg/mL caused by the positive control (Celecoxib®). On the other hand, a cytotoxic activity investigation indicated that CHE was the most potent against the Caco-2 and HCT-116 cell lines (IC50 8.11 and 11.18 µg/mL, respectively), and it was closely followed by HHE (IC50 12.42 µg/mL) against the Caco-2 cell line. Collectively, S. aegyptiaca essential oil prepared by the hydro-distillation method exhibited notable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, while the same essential oil prepared by solvent extraction methods displayed a characteristic cytotoxic activity against the Caco-2 and HCT-116 cell lines. These results confirmed that different extraction methods greatly influence the biological potential of an essential oil, which, in turn, is attributable to the different constituents in each extract Moreover, S. aegyptiaca was noted as a promising halophytic plant for more phytochemical and biological investigations. Full article
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15 pages, 1813 KiB  
Article
Intestinal Glucuronidation, Prior to Hepatic Glucuronidation, Plays an Important Role in the Low Circulating Levels of Calycosin
by Haodong Jiang, Huan Liu, Pei Hu, Shuoji Chen, Yaqing Ye, Chenggang Huang and Xiaoting Tian
Separations 2022, 9(5), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations9050115 - 08 May 2022
Viewed by 1690
Abstract
Calycosin is a dietary flavonoid with favorable activities, which seems to be inconsistent with its low circulating levels in vivo. To address this issue, we developed a strategy to understand calycosin distribution by integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses of calycosin and its metabolites [...] Read more.
Calycosin is a dietary flavonoid with favorable activities, which seems to be inconsistent with its low circulating levels in vivo. To address this issue, we developed a strategy to understand calycosin distribution by integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses of calycosin and its metabolites in portal vein plasma, the liver, and systemic plasma after oral administration to rats. Consequently, 21 metabolites were characterized in total, including the first report of a reductive biotransformation and 14 new metabolites. Compared with the low levels of calycosin, calycosin glucuronides were predominant in circulation, and both the hepatic and intestinal regions contributed to the high exposure of these calycosin glucuronides. However, intestinal glucuronidation, prior to hepatic glucuronidation, plays a key role in the low circulating levels of calycosin. Full article
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