Antimicrobial Properties, Cytotoxic Effects, and Fatty Acids Composition of Vegetable Oils from Purslane, Linseed, Luffa, and Pumpkin Seeds

Abstract

In the present study, the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, as well as the fatty acids composition in vegetable seed oils from linseed, purslane, luffa, and pumpkin were evaluated. For this purpose, two linseed oils and one luffa oil were commercially obtained, while purslane and pumpkin oils were obtained from own cultivated seeds. The results showed a variable fatty acids composition among the tested oils, with α-linolenic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid being the most abundant compounds. In regards to particular oils, linseed oils were a rich source of α-linolenic acid, luffa and pumpkin oil were abundant in linoleic acid, while purslane oil presented a balanced composition with an almost similar amount of both fatty acids. Luffa oil was the most effective against two of the tested cancer cell lines, namely HeLa (cervical carcinoma) and NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer), while it also showed moderate toxicity against non-tumor cells (PLP2 cell line). Regarding the antibacterial activity, linseed oil 3 and pumpkin oil showed the highest activity against most of the tested bacteria (especially against Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli) with MIC and MBC values similar to the used positive controls (E211 and E224). All the tested oils showed significant antifungal activities, especially luffa and pumpkin oil, and for most of the tested fungi they were more effective than the positive controls, as for example in the case of Aspergillus versicolor, A. niger, and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. In conclusion, the results of our study showed promising antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties for the studied seed oils which could be partly attributed to their fatty acids composition, especially the long-chain ones with 12–18 carbons.

The potential of pumpkin seed oil as a functional food—A comprehensive review of chemical composition, health benefits, and safety

“…As for its antifungal properties, it proved more effective against Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium than the positive controls (E211 and E224) (Petropoulos et al, 2021). PSO can inhibit the growth of Aeromonas veronii, Candida albicans, Enterococcus feacalis, E. coli, Salmonella enterica, Typhimurium, and S. aureus (Hammer et al, 1999;Syed et al, 2019).…”

“…As for its antifungal properties, it proved more effective against Aspergillus versicolor , Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum , and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium than the positive controls (E211 and E224) (Petropoulos et al., 2021).…”

Omega-3 Rich Jelly Candy Fortified with Portulaca oleracea Seeds Oil: Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acids Composition and Acceptability

“…The main unsaturated fatty acids of purslane oil were oleic 20.23%, linoleic 42.82% and linolenic 33.60% acids. Petropoulos et al (2021) found that purslane seed oil was a rich source of linoleic (34.10%) and linolenic (41.25%) acids with minor content of oleic acid (5.24%). Dubois et al (2007) reported a slightly lower content of α-linolenic acid (32.4%) than linoleic acid (34.1%).…”

Babassu kernel oil: Enhanced extraction and chemical characterization

“…The increase in demand for functional foods, made up of biologically and physiologically active compounds that provide health benefits, has increased considerably (Konstantinidi & Koutelidakis, 2019; Ramakrishna et al, 2020). In this scope, recent studies have shown that, in addition to their nutritional capacity, seeds and almonds are potential resources for obtaining health‐beneficial oils (Chew et al, 2021; Petropoulos et al, 2021; Teng et al, 2017; Teng & Chen, 2017). Babassu ( Orbignya phalerata Mart., Arecaceae) is an important palm tree native to Brazil, specifically the Amazon (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento, 2017).…”