Abstract
Cactaceae plants are important due to their nutritional and therapeutic values. This study aimed to identify the phytochemical profile and biological activities of six Melocactus zehntneri pulp extracts: hexane extract (HE), chloroform extract (CE), ethanol extract (EE), methanol extract (ME), final water extract (FWE), and water extract (WE). Sugar, phenolic compounds, and protein content of the extracts were determined. Then thin layer chromatography (TLC) was performed to detect the presence of terpenes (ursolic and oleanolic acids), saponins, sugars, and glycoproteins. These extracts were analyzed for antioxidant activity via in vitro assay. HE showed 75% ferric chelating activity. All extracts showed 80–100% superoxide and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities, respectively. Further, all extracts at 25 µg/mL showed 60% activity against DPPH. Moreover, in the 3T3 cells lines, no cytotoxicity was observed; however, therapeutic activity against the effects of the H2O2 treatment was exhibited. Finally, the polar extracts (EE, ME, FWE, and WE), particularly WE, elicited activity against the biofilms of Staphylococcus epidermidis, and HE and CE expressed a capacity for solar protection.
Highlights
Oxidative stress has been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, aging-related diseases, and tumors [1,2,3]
Water comprised 96.6% of the pulp weight of the M. zehntneri, which belongs to the Cactaceae family
The highest amounts of sugar were detected in ethanol extract (EE) and methanol extract (ME); the order of sugar content was as follows: final water extract (FWE) < hexane extract (HE) < water extract (WE) < chloroform extract (CE)
Summary
Oxidative stress has been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, aging-related diseases, and tumors [1,2,3]. Cells have different proteins (cell machinery) that maintain cell homeostasis, and antioxidant molecules may be isolated from vegetable and fruit sources [5,6]. Plants produce a mixture of compounds known as secondary metabolites, which are usually divided into three main categories: terpenes, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. These metabolites exhibit a variety of biological and pharmacological properties; identification and isolation of compounds from these complex mixtures, as well as their use as daily foods, are important research topics in this field [5,7,8,9].
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