Polyphenols from Lycium barbarum (Goji) Fruit European Cultivars at Different Maturation Steps: Extraction, HPLC-DAD Analyses, and Biological Evaluation.

Goji berries are undoubtedly a source of potentially bioactive compounds but their phytochemical profile can vary depending on their geographical origin, cultivar, and/or industrial processing. A rapid and cheap extraction of the polyphenolic fraction from Lycium barbarum cultivars, applied after homogenization treatments, was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses based on two different methods. The obtained hydroalcoholic extracts, containing interesting secondary metabolites (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, sinapinic acid, rutin, and carvacrol), were also submitted to a wide biological screening. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant capacity using three antioxidant assays, tyrosinase inhibition, and anti-Candida activity were evaluated in order to correlate the impact of the homogenization treatment, geographical origin, and cultivar type on the polyphenolic and flavonoid amount, and consequently the bioactivity. The rutin amount, considered as a quality marker for goji berries according to European Pharmacopeia, varied from ≈200 to ≈400 µg/g among the tested samples, showing important differences observed in relation to the influence of the evaluated parameters.

Investigations into the therapeutic potential of Asphodeline liburnica roots: In vitro and in silico biochemical and toxicological perspectives.

This study aims to establish the biological and chemical profile of Asphodeline liburnica (Scop.) Rchb. root. The antioxidant, antimicrobial, enzyme inhibitory, DNA protection, apoptotic DNA ladder fragmentation analysis, and anti-proliferative of A. liburnica were established using standard assays. In silico study was also performed to understand interactions between quantified anthraquinones and key enzymes of clinical relevance. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be 9.67 mgGAE/g and 1.48 mgRE/g extract, respectively. Chrysophanol was detected as a major anthraquinone. The extract exhibited radical scavenging ability against DPPH and ABTS with values of 13.23 and 66.99 mgTE/g extract, respectively. Good inhibitory activity against tyrosinase was recorded. In silico experiments showed that the anthraquinones were able to establish coordinative bonds with the copper atoms present in the enzymatic cavity of tyrosinase. MTT cell viability test on MDA-MB-231 cells showed that at 0.1 and 1 µg of extracts induced anti-proliferative effect. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation analysis indicated nuclear condensation resulting in DNA fragmentation, which exhibited apoptotic cell death in the presence of A. liburnica. This study has provided insights on the potential usage of A. liburnica which could open new avenues for research and stimulate future interest for the development of safe novel biopharmaceuticals.