Identification of Phenolic Compounds by LC-MS/MS and Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Two Edible Halophytes: Limonium effusum and L. sinuatum.

Ipek Baysal,Melike Ekizoglu,Abdulselam Ertas,Hamdi Temel,Burak Temiz,Hale Gamze Agalar,Samiye Yabanoglu-Ciftci,Fatma Pinar Turkmenoglu,Gulberk Ucar

doi:10.3390/molecules26134040

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activities of the methanol extracts and their fractions of two edible halophytic Limonium species, L. effusum (LE) and L. sinuatum (LS). The total phenolic content resulted about two-fold higher in the ethyl acetate fraction of LE (522.82 ± 5.67 mg GAE/g extract) than in that of LS (274.87 ± 1.87 mg GAE/g extract). LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that tannic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in both species (71,439.56 ± 3643.3 µg/g extract in LE and 105,453.5 ± 5328.1 µg/g extract in LS), whereas hyperoside was the most abundant flavonoid (14,006.90 ± 686.1 µg/g extract in LE and 1708.51 ± 83.6 µg/g extract in LS). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH and TAC assays, and the stronger antioxidant activity in ethyl acetate fractions was highlighted. Both species were more active against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram negatives and showed considerable growth inhibitions against tested fungi. Interestingly, selective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was observed with LE and LS. Particularly, the water fraction of LS strongly inhibited AChE (IC50 = 0.199 ± 0.009 µg/mL). The ethyl acetate fractions of LE and LS, as well as the n-hexane fraction of LE, exhibited significant antityrosinase activity (IC50 = 245.56 ± 3.6, 295.18 ± 10.57 and 148.27 ± 3.33 µg/mL, respectively). The ethyl acetate fraction and methanol extract of LS also significantly inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 = 83.76 ± 4.19 and 162.2 ± 7.29 µg/mL, respectively). Taken together, these findings warrant further investigations to assess the potential of LE and LS as a bioactive source that can be exploited in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.

Highlights

Introduction distributed under the terms andHalophyte species, which can be found in environments such as sand hills, deserts, cliffed coasts, saline lakes, coastal and inland salt marshes, are naturally adapted plants to high levels of soil salinity [1]
The total phenolic content (TPC) of extracts was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method, which measures the level of total phenolics based on oxidationreduction mechanisms [20]
The content of total phenolics is expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE, mg gallic acid/g extract)

Summary

Introduction

Halophyte species, which can be found in environments such as sand hills, deserts, cliffed coasts, saline lakes, coastal and inland salt marshes, are naturally adapted plants to high levels of soil salinity [1]. It is known that soil salinity and drought, which are the major abiotic stress in plants, cause overproduction and the accumulation of reactive conditions of the Creative Commons. ROS may have a key role as signaling molecules that modulate a wide range of diverse plant processes under salt stress. Phenolic compounds are at the center of attention, as they play a crucial role in preventing oxidation processes and have highly valued functions in improving health and preventing disturbances ranging from cancer, inflammation, high blood pressure, neurodegenerative disorders, and obesity to skin disorders and acute oxidative damage, etc. Besides halophytes, phenolic extracts hold great importance, due to their variety of applications in fields such as the food industry, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medicine [2,5,6]

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