Abstract
Zizyphus lotus L. is a perennial shrub particularly used in Algerian folk medicine, but little is known concerning the lipophilic compounds in the most frequently used parts, namely, root bark, pulp, leaves and seeds, which are associated with health benefits. In this vein, the lipophilic fractions of these morphological parts of Z. lotus from Morocco were studied by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and their antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. GC–MS analysis allowed the identification and quantification of 99 lipophilic compounds, including fatty acids, long-chain aliphatic alcohols, pentacyclic triterpenic compounds, sterols, monoglycerides, aromatic compounds and other minor components. Lipophilic extracts of pulp, leaves and seeds were revealed to be mainly composed of fatty acids, representing 54.3–88.6% of the total compounds detected. The leaves and seeds were particularly rich in unsaturated fatty acids, namely, (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid (2431 mg kg−1 of dry weight) and (9Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid (6255 mg kg−1 of dry weight). In contrast, root bark contained a high content of pentacyclic triterpenic compounds, particularly betulinic acid, accounting for 9838 mg kg−1 of dry weight. Root bark extract showed promising antiproliferative activity against a triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 4.23 ± 0.18 µg mL−1 of extract. Leaf extract displayed interesting antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis, presenting minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values from 1024 to 2048 µg mL−1 of extract. Our results demonstrate that Zizyphus lotus L. is a source of promising bioactive components, which can be exploited as natural ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations.
Highlights
Zizyphus, a plant genus belonging to the angiosperm Rhamnaceae family, order Rhamnales, includes about 135–170 species worldwide [1], of which Zizyphus jujuba Mill. and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. are the most important in terms of distribution and economic significance [2]
The objective of this work is to characterize the lipophilic composition of the morphological parts of Z. lotus that are commonly associated with promising biological activities and health benefits, namely, root bark, leaves, seeds and pulp, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)
The lipophilic fractions of four morphological parts of Z. lotus, i.e., root bark, leaves, pulp and seeds obtained by DCM Soxhlet extraction, were characterized in detail using GC–MS analysis
Summary
A plant genus belonging to the angiosperm Rhamnaceae family, order Rhamnales, includes about 135–170 species worldwide [1], of which Zizyphus jujuba Mill. and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. are the most important in terms of distribution and economic significance [2]. Zizyphus lotus (Z. lotus), known as “Sedra”, is indigenous to Morocco and has a wide ecological and geographical distribution in arid and semiarid plateau regions and along sandy riverbeds in the Saharan region [3], whereas, in Europe, this plant is restricted to certain semiarid areas, namely, in the southeast of Spain and in Sicily, Italy [4]. This wild shrub is mainly appreciated for its brown, flavorful and nutritive small fruits, which have contributed to the spread of these species. Other interesting families of natural compounds (from a biological activity point of view), such as sterols or tocopherols, have only been evaluated in Z. lotus seed oils [12,20] or whole fruit [14] and, in some cases, without quantification [14]
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