Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars
<i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> L., commonly known as the carob tree, appears in most Mediterranean countries, often cultivated for the collection of its fruits to be used as food for humans and animals. This study was aimed at the phytochemical characterization of two common Cretan <i>C....
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2023-07-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| author | Dafni-Alexandra Kavvoura Michalis K. Stefanakis Dimitris Kletsas Haralambos E. Katerinopoulos Harris Pratsinis |
| author_facet | Dafni-Alexandra Kavvoura Michalis K. Stefanakis Dimitris Kletsas Haralambos E. Katerinopoulos Harris Pratsinis |
| author_sort | Dafni-Alexandra Kavvoura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> L., commonly known as the carob tree, appears in most Mediterranean countries, often cultivated for the collection of its fruits to be used as food for humans and animals. This study was aimed at the phytochemical characterization of two common Cretan <i>C. siliqua</i> cultivars and the biological evaluation of deseeded pod and seed extracts regarding their putative use in cosmetics. Gas and liquid chromatographic techniques were used to assess their essential oil, fatty acid, and carbohydrate profiles. Cell-free assays, including free-radical scavenging; the inhibition of tyrosinase and collagenase; the blocking of advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation; along with assays in human skin fibroblast cultures, i.e., reactive oxygen species suppression, glutathione stimulation, and protection from oxidative stress and from ultraviolet (UVB) radiation, were also used. Extracts from both cultivars were found to possess antioxidant capacity, tyrosinase- and collagenase-inhibitory activities, an ability to block glucose-induced AGEs, and in certain cases, UVB absorbance and photoprotective activities. Seed extracts were in general more active, while the use of 30% aqueous methanol seemed to be more efficient than n-hexane for extraction. Serial partition of the most active extracts resulted in fractions with enriched biological activities. These properties make Cretan carob extracts and their fractions suitable candidates for use in cosmetics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:26:35Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:26:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-87137d86fafd493f86250d954efd02e82023-11-18T23:00:24ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-07-0124151210410.3390/ijms241512104Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan CultivarsDafni-Alexandra Kavvoura0Michalis K. Stefanakis1Dimitris Kletsas2Haralambos E. Katerinopoulos3Harris Pratsinis4Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Ageing, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, NCSR “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, GreeceLaboratory of Cell Proliferation and Ageing, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, NCSR “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, GreeceLaboratory of Cell Proliferation and Ageing, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, NCSR “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, Greece<i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> L., commonly known as the carob tree, appears in most Mediterranean countries, often cultivated for the collection of its fruits to be used as food for humans and animals. This study was aimed at the phytochemical characterization of two common Cretan <i>C. siliqua</i> cultivars and the biological evaluation of deseeded pod and seed extracts regarding their putative use in cosmetics. Gas and liquid chromatographic techniques were used to assess their essential oil, fatty acid, and carbohydrate profiles. Cell-free assays, including free-radical scavenging; the inhibition of tyrosinase and collagenase; the blocking of advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation; along with assays in human skin fibroblast cultures, i.e., reactive oxygen species suppression, glutathione stimulation, and protection from oxidative stress and from ultraviolet (UVB) radiation, were also used. Extracts from both cultivars were found to possess antioxidant capacity, tyrosinase- and collagenase-inhibitory activities, an ability to block glucose-induced AGEs, and in certain cases, UVB absorbance and photoprotective activities. Seed extracts were in general more active, while the use of 30% aqueous methanol seemed to be more efficient than n-hexane for extraction. Serial partition of the most active extracts resulted in fractions with enriched biological activities. These properties make Cretan carob extracts and their fractions suitable candidates for use in cosmetics.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/15/12104<i>Ceratonia siliqua</i>volatile componentsfatty acidscarbohydratesantioxidantphotoprotection |
| spellingShingle | Dafni-Alexandra Kavvoura Michalis K. Stefanakis Dimitris Kletsas Haralambos E. Katerinopoulos Harris Pratsinis Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars International Journal of Molecular Sciences <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> volatile components fatty acids carbohydrates antioxidant photoprotection |
| title | Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars |
| title_full | Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars |
| title_fullStr | Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars |
| title_short | Biological Activities of <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> Pod and Seed Extracts: A Comparative Analysis of Two Cretan Cultivars |
| title_sort | biological activities of i ceratonia siliqua i pod and seed extracts a comparative analysis of two cretan cultivars |
| topic | <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> volatile components fatty acids carbohydrates antioxidant photoprotection |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/15/12104 |
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