RESUMO
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is an herbaceous plant originating from South America and processed into cigarettes for consumption. Polyphenols are considered vital components of tobacco in view of their contribution to antioxidant properties. This study aimed to determine the phenolic compounds in different tobacco varieties by applying cold extraction with methanol and distilled water. The extracts were screened for phenolic compound diversity and distribution as well as their antioxidant potential in different tobacco varieties. The results showed that the methanolic extract of tobacco SP-28 exhibited the highest value in the total phenolic content (24.82 ± 0.07 mg GAE/gd.w.) and total flavonoid content (4.42 ± 0.01 mg QE/gd.w.), while the water extract of tobacco SN-2 exhibited the highest value in the total condensed tannin (1.12 ± 0.03 mg CE/gd.w.). The radical scavenging capacities of tobacco SP-28 were relatively high in DPPH (18.20 ± 0.01 mg AAE/gd.w.) and FRAP (3.02 ± 0.10 mg AAE/gd.w.), whereas the ABTS value was the highest in tobacco SN-2 (37.25 ± 0.03 mg AAE/gd.w.), and the total antioxidant capacity was the highest in tobacco SN-1 (7.43 ± 0.18 mg AAE/gd.w.). LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS identified a total of 49 phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids (14), flavonoids (30), and other polyphenols (5) in four different tobacco varieties. Tobacco SP-28 showed the highest number of phenolic compounds, especially enriched in flavones. Our study highlights the antioxidant potential of tobacco extracts and reveals the phenolic distribution among different tobacco varieties that could support tobacco utilization in different pharmaceutical industries.
RESUMO
Tobacco is grown in large quantities worldwide as a widely distributed commercial crop. From the harvest of the field to the process into the final product, a series of procedures generate enormous amount of waste materials that are rarely recycled. In recent years, numerous potential bioactive compounds have been isolated from tobacco, and the molecular regulatory mechanisms related to the performance of some functionalities have been identified. This review describes the source of tobacco waste and expounds a large amount of biomass during the tobacco processing, and the necessity of exploring the reuse of tobacco waste. In addition, the review summarizes the bioactive compounds from tobacco that have been discovered so far, and links them to various functions from tobacco extracts, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and antioxidant, thus proving the potential value from tobacco waste reuse. In this regard, nornicotine in tobacco is the culprit of many health issues, while the polyphenols and polysaccharides often contribute to the health benefits of tobacco extract. In addition, it is hard to ignore that realization of these functions of tobacco extracts require the involvement of intestinal flora metabolism, which should be considered in the development of new product dosage forms.