Exploring the potential of tannin-rich tree bark extracts in combating foodborne diseases and gastric cancer

• Published in: Food bioscience Vol. 57; p. 103559
• Main Authors: Ucella-Filho, João Gilberto Meza, Lorenço, Mario Sérgio, Silva, Bruna Rafaella Ferreira da, Ferreira, Vanuzia Rodrigues Fernandes, Monteiro, Jessica Raquel Borges, Ferreira, Nicolly Soares, Cardoso, Maria das Graças, Kitagawa, Rodrigo Rezende, Resende, Juliana Alves, Dias Junior, Ananias Francisco, Piccoli, Roberta Hilsdorf, Mori, Fábio Akira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2024
• Subjects: Anticancer; Antimicrobial; Antioxidant; Bioactive substances; Infectious diseases; Antimicrobial; Infectious diseases; Anticancer; Antioxidant; Bioactive substances
• ISSN: 2212-4292; 2212-4306
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2023.103559

The objective of this study was to perform chemical characterization of tannin-rich extracts obtained from the bark of woody species and to assess their bioactive potential for the treatment of foodborne diseases and gastric cancer. The barks of Anacardium occidentale, Stryphnodendron adstringens, and a commercial tannin from Acacia mearnsii were used to prepare the extracts. HPLC was employed to determine the profile and quantity of phenolic compounds present in the extracts, while FTIR was utilized to identify their functional groups. The antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH assay, while the antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the disk diffusion method and measurement of minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. Additionally, the antitumor activity was evaluated using the MTT-tetrazolium assay. The phenolic profile of the extracts revealed the presence of ten compounds, with gallic acid and catechin being the most abundant for all species. Hydroxyl (OH) was the recurrent functional group in all the analyzed extracts. At a concentration of 25 μg/mL, the extracts exhibited DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 90%. The extracts had significant antitumor potential, inhibiting the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS) by 90% at 200 μg/mL. Listeria monocytogenes was the most sensitive bacterium to the use of the extracts, while Escherichia coli was the most resistant. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study demonstrated the promising potential of tannin-rich extracts from the studied species as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents.
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•A. occidentale, S. adstringens and A. mearnsii are rich in gallic acid and catechin.•Tannin-rich extracts had higher antioxidant activity compared to a commercial antioxidant.•Low concentrations of tannin-rich extracts act as bactericides.•Tannin-rich extracts have promising activity against gastric cancer.