Abstract
It is well known that plants are important sources for the preparation of natural remedies as they contain many biologically active compounds. In particular, polyphenols, terpenic compounds, organic acids, and vitamins are the most widely occurring groups of phytochemicals. Some endemic species may be used for the production of herbal preparations containing phytochemicals with significant bioactivity, as antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory capacities, and health benefits. Blackberry sprouts and blackcurrant buds are known to contain appreciable levels of bioactive compounds, including flavonols, phenolic acids, monoterpenes, vitamin C, and catechins, with several clinical effects. The aim of this research was to perform an analytical study of blackcurrant and blackberry bud-preparations, in order to identify and quantify the main biomarkers, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint to evaluate the single botanical class contribution to total phytocomplex and relative bioactivity, using a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph−Diode Array Detector; the same analyses were performed both on the University laboratory and commercial preparations. Different chromatographic methods were used to determine concentrations of biomolecules in the preparations, allowing for quantification of statistically significant differences in their bioactive compound content both in the case of Ribes nigrum and Rubus cultivated varieties at different harvest stages. In blackcurrant bud-extracts the most important class was organic acids (50.98%) followed by monoterpenes (14.05%), while in blackberry preparations the main bioactive classes were catechins (50.06%) and organic acids (27.34%). Chemical, pharmaceutical and agronomic-environmental knowledge could be important for obtaining label certifications for the valorization of specific genotypes, with high clinical and pharmaceutical value: this study allowed to develop an effective tool for the natural preparation quality control and bioactivity evaluation through the chemical fingerprinting of bud preparations.
Highlights
Plants are important sources for the preparation of natural remedies, food additives, and other ingredients, as they contain many biologically active compounds as polyphenols, vitamins (A, B group, C, E), terpenes, organic acids, and other very important phytochemicals [1,2]
The aim of this research was to perform an analytical study of blackcurrant and blackberry bud-preparations, in order to identify and quantify the main biomarkers, obtaining a specific phytochemical fingerprint to evaluate the single botanical class contribution to total phytocomplex and relative bioactivity, using a High Performance Liquid ChromatographDiode Array Detector; the same analyses were performed both on the University laboratory and commercial preparations
Pharmaceutical and agronomic-environmental knowledge could be important for obtaining label certifications for the valorization of specific genotypes, with high clinical and pharmaceutical value: this study allowed to develop an effective tool for the natural preparation quality control and bioactivity evaluation through the chemical fingerprinting of bud preparations
Summary
Plants are important sources for the preparation of natural remedies, food additives, and other ingredients, as they contain many biologically active compounds as polyphenols, vitamins (A, B group, C, E), terpenes, organic acids, and other very important phytochemicals [1,2]. Comparing with other analytical studies [5,43], the chromatographic conditions were optimized in order to obtain a fingerprint with good peak resolution and reasonable analysis time for the separation and quantification of different bioactive classes in plant material derived-products These methods could be applied in routine quality control and standardization of bud-extracts, germplasm evaluation and selection of new cultivars with high content of biomolecules, and phytochemical fingerprinting of the plant material to be used in pharmaceutical investigations, in particular avoiding substitutions, changes or adulterations with other species or synthetic drugs (e.g., sildenafil, diazepam, captopril and amoxicillin), as shown in other studies [44,45]. This study only focused on bud-preparation chemical composition of two berryfruit species, in order to detect and quantify the most important biologically active classes and single compounds, but a further quantitative evaluation on the basis of their native structures with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry is necessary
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
