Botanical and Genetic Identification Followed by Investigation of Chemical Composition and Biological Activities on the Scabiosa atropurpurea L. Stem from Tunisian Flora

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 21; p. 5032
• Main Authors: Hrichi, Soukaina, Chaabane-Banaoues, Raja, Bayar, Sihem, Flamini, Guido, Oulad El Majdoub, Yassine, Mangraviti, Domenica, Mondello, Luigi, El Mzoughi, Ridha, Babba, Hamouda, Mighri, Zine, Cacciola, Francesco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29-10-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Allelochemicals; Allelopathy; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal activity; Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Cancer; carotenoids; Chemical composition; Chlorogenic acid; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cineole; Dipsacaceae - chemistry; Dipsacaceae - growth & development; Ethanol; Flame ionization; Flowers & plants; Food industry; Fungicides; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Herbal medicine; HPLC; Hydrocarbons; In vitro methods and tests; Ionization; Liquid chromatography; Lutein; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicinal plants; Metabolites; Oils & fats; Pharmaceuticals; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Photodiodes; Pigments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Stems - chemistry; Plant Stems - growth & development; Scabiosa atropurpurea; Scabiosa atropurpurea L; Scientific imaging; Solvents; Spectroscopy; Stems; Tunisia; Volatile compounds; Volatiles; Tunisia; antifungal; phenols; antioxidant; allelopathic; carotenoids; Scabiosa atropurpurea L; mass spectrometry; antibacterial; GC; HPLC
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215032

Scarce information about the phenolic composition of
L. is available, and no carotenoid compounds have been reported thus far. In this study the phenolic and carotenoid composition of this plant was both investigated and associated bioactivities were evaluated. Aiming to obtain extracts and volatile fractions of known medicinal plants to valorize them in the pharmaceutical or food industries, two techniques of extraction and five solvents were used to determine the biologically active compounds. Gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization and mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry highlighted the presence of 15 volatiles, 19 phenolic, and 24 natural pigments in
L. stem samples; among them, the most abundant were 1,8-cineole, chlorogenic acid, cynaroside, and lutein. Bioactivity was assessed by a set of in vitro tests checking for antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and allelopathic (against
L. and
Medik) effects.
L. stem extracts presented a considerable antioxidant, antibacterial, and allelopathic potential, with less antifungal effectiveness. These results indicate that the volatile fractions and extracts from
L. stem could be considered as a good source of bioactive agents, with possible applications in food-related, agriculture, and pharmaceutical fields. Genetic investigations showed 97% of similarity with
, also called Japanese