Autor(es): Hamdoun, Ouafaa ; Gonçalves, Sandra ; Paixão Mansinhos, Inês Filipa ; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel ; Pereira-Caro, Gema ; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel ; El Kbiach, Mohammed L’bachir ; El Bouzdoudi, Brahim ; Romano, Anabela
Data: 2024
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/26166
Origem: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
Assunto(s): Opuntia leucotricha DC.; NADES; Phenolic compounds; Antioxidant capacity; Enzyme inhibition; HPLC-HRMS
The objective of this study was to analyze the chemical profile of extracts from different fruit parts of the perennial arborescent cactus Opuntia leucotricha by applying ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and to evaluate their biological properties (antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory capacities). Extracts were obtained from the fruit pulp (without or with seeds), seeds, and peel by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using the conventional solvent methanol 50% and two Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) (glycerol:urea, 1:1 and citric acid:sorbitol, 1:2). A total of 33 compounds were identified, including phenolics, fatty acids, and others. Phenolic acids were the most abundant class of phenolics identified in all fruit parts, with the highest concentration observed in the methanol extracts from peel (593.02 mu g/gDW), followed by seed-containing pulp (69.03 mu g/gDW), pulp (57.83 mu g/gDW), and seeds (39.97 mu g/gDW). The second most effective extractant was NADES 1 (glycerol:urea, 1:1), which was also successful in extracting compounds with antioxidant capacity. Overall, the extracts demonstrated considerable enzyme inhibitory activities, with the greatest effects observed against alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. The results indicate that O. leucotricha fruits could be a promising source of bioactive compounds, and NADES a viable alternative to organic solvents for their industrial exploitation.
