2. Academic Validation
  3. Polyphenol-enriched extracts of Sarcopoterium spinosum fruits for counteracting lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in an in vitro model of hepatic steatosis

Polyphenol-enriched extracts of Sarcopoterium spinosum fruits for counteracting lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in an in vitro model of hepatic steatosis

  • Fitoterapia. 2023 Nov 10:172:105743. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105743.
Hawraa Zbeeb 1,  Hala Khalifeh 2,  Giulio Lupidi 3,  Francesca Baldini 4,  Lama Zeaiter 5,  Mohamad Khalil 6,  Annalisa Salis 7,  Gianluca Damonte 7,  Laura Vergani 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
  • 2 Department of Biology, Laboratory Rammal Rammal (ATAC), Lebanese University, Hadath Campus, Beirut, Lebanon.
  • 3 School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
  • 4 Nanoscopy and NIC@IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 16152 Genova, Italy.
  • 5 Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; Nanoscopy and NIC@IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 16152 Genova, Italy.
  • 6 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.
  • 7 Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 1, 16132 Genova, Italy.
  • 8 Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy. Electronic address: laura.vergani@unige.it.
PMID: 37952761 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105743
Abstract

Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach is a Rosaceae shrub employed in the folk medicine in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. The previous few studies have focused on the S. spinosum roots, while the fruits have been poorly investigated. The present study aims to assess the biological properties of S. spinosum fruits collected in Lebanon and subjected to ethanolic, water or boiling water extraction. The extracts were compared for the phenol and flavonoid contents, and for the in vitro radical scavenging ability. The ethanolic extract (SEE) was selected and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) showing a phenolome rich in tannins (ellagitannins), Flavonoids (quercetin derivatives), and Triterpenes. The biological activity of SEE was tested on a cellular model of moderate steatosis consisting of lipid-loaded hepatic cells treated with increasing concentrations of SEE (1-25 μg/mL), or with corilagin or quercetin as comparison. In steatotic hepatocytes the SEE was able (i) to ameliorate the hepatosteatosis; (ii) to counteract the excess ROS and lipid peroxidation; (iii) to restore the impaired catalase activity. The results indicate that the ethanolic extract from S. spinosum fruits is endowed with relevant antisteatotic and antioxidant activities and might find application as nutraceutical product.

Keywords

Anti-steatotic activity; Antioxidant acitvity; Corilagin; Phenolome profile; Sarcopoterium spinosum fruit extracts.

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