Biological activity of carotenoids in red paprika, Valencia orange and Golden delicious apple

Abstract

Carotenoid fractions were extracted from red paprika, Valencia orange peel and the peel of Golden delicious apple. Thus, hypophasic carotenoids of paprika (PM1), orange (PM3) and apple (PM4), and epiphasic extractions of paprika (PM2) and apple (PM5) were obtained by extraction, saponification and partition between MeOH-H(2)O (9:1) (hypophasic) and hexane (epiphasic). A high content of capsanthin was quantified in hypophasic carotenoids (PM1) from red spice paprika, whereas the hypophasic fractions from orange (PM3) and apple (PM4) were mainly composed of violaxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. On the other hand, a high content of beta,beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin was found in epiphasic fractions (PM2 and PM5). The extracts were studied for their anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cytotoxic, multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal and radical scavenging activity. Among five PM extracts and beta,betacarotene, PM4 showed potent anti-H. pylori activity (MIC(50) = 36 microg/mL), comparable to metronidazole (MIC(50) = 45 microg/mL). The extracts were inactive against HIV. PM3 and PM4 showed slightly higher cytotoxic activity against three human tumor cell lines (squamous cell carcinoma HSC-2, HSC-3, submandibular gland carcinoma HSG) and human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells than against three normal human oral cells (gingival fibroblast HGF, pulp cell HPC, periodontal ligament fibroblast HPLF), suggesting a tumor-specific cytotoxic activity. PM1, PM3 and PM4 displayed much higher MDR-reversing activity than (+/-)-verapamil. ESR spectroscopy demonstrated that PM1-5 and beta,beta-carotene produced little or no detectable radical under alkaline conditions and did not scavenge the O(2) (-) produced by the hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase reaction. On the other hand, PM1 and PM2 scavenged efficiently 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, whereas singlet oxygen was also quenched efficiently by PM5 and PM2. The data suggest the potential importance of carotenoids as possible anti-H. pylori and MDR reversal agents. The active principles in the carotenoid extract might differ, depending upon the types of fruits and vegetables.

HPLC‐PAD‐atmospheric pressure chemical ionization‐MS metabolite profiling of cytotoxic carotenoids from the echinoderm Marthasterias glacialis (spiny sea‐star)

“…Among natural molecules, carotenoids usually are not among the most cytotoxic ones. However, the cytotoxic activity of carotenoids, in particular xanthophylls, has been described in the literature and, in line with the findings that we present herein, this activity is usually higher against cancer cells than against healthy ones [15,16].…”

Antimicrobial activity against Helicobacter pylori strains and antioxidant properties of blackberry leaves (Rubus ulmifolius) and isolated compounds

“…Thus, considerable interest has been focused on alternative/adjuvant approaches such as the use of biologically active compounds, including antioxidants from plants [9]. Several studies demonstrated the inhibitory effects on bacteria of a wide range of fruits, vegetables and their derivatives, such as berries [10], garlic [11][12][13], onion [14], kiwi [15], citrus [16] and wine [17], as well as plant extracts [18] and spices, in particular essential oils [19], cinnamon [20], thyme [21], propolis [22], liquorice [23], red paprika [24], tea [25] and rice [26]. In addition, further studies on the antimicrobial properties of compounds isolated from plant sources, such as resveratrol [27,28], allixin [11], vitamin C [29], ␤-carotene and ␤-tocopherol [9,30] and garcinol [31,32], have given significant information about the existence of potential synergisms among different constituents [33].…”

Acyclic Diterpene Glycosides, Capsianosides VIII, IX, X, XIII, XV and XVI from the Fruits of Paprika Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum BAILEY and Jalapeno Capsicum annuum L. var. annuum

“…Carotenoids, 2,3) lipids and capsaicin 4) have been well studied in the Capsicum species. Now our study has focused on the water-soluble constituents of Paprika and Jalapeño fruits.…”