Chemical Composition, Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antidiabetic Activities of Ethanolic Extracts of Opuntia dillenii Fruits Collected from Morocco

Abstract

Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. belongs to the Cactaceae family and is native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and the southern United States. O. dillenii are now used as medicinal plants in various countries. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of ethanolic extracts obtained from seeds, juice, and peel of O. dillenii fruits collected from Morocco, and we evaluated their antibacterial, antifungal, and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical screening revealed high quantities of polyphenols (193.73 ± 81.44 to 341.12 ± 78.90 gallic acid eq [g/100 g dry weight]) in the extracts. The major phenolic compounds determined by HPLC were gallic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid. Regarding flavonoids, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside and kaempferol were the predominant molecules. Juice extracts showed weak to moderate antibacterial activity against the bacteria species Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella braenderup. All tested extracts displayed a significant inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities in vitro, with the peel extracts showing the greatest inhibitory effects. Together, these findings suggest that O. dillenii fruits are a promising source for the isolation of novel compounds with antibacterial or antidiabetic activities. For the most abundant phytochemicals identified in O. dillenii peel ethanolic extract, molecular docking simulations against human pancreatic α-amylase enzyme were performed. These indicated the presence of bioactive compounds in the extract with a better potential to decrease the enzyme activity than the commercial drug acarbose.

Exploring the Multi-Faceted Potential of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua var. Rahma) Leaves from Morocco: A Comprehensive Analysis of Polyphenols Profile, Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity against Breast Cancer Cell Lines, and Genotoxicity

“…These included a HPLC/DAD system manufactured by Waters Corporation, Milford, MA, USA, which utilizes high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. The information generated from this analysis was then managed and analyzed using the empower software [ 82 ]. The prepared samples (20 µL) were injected in a Zorbax XDB-C18 (5 µm porosity, 250 × 4.6 mm) using an automatic injection system with an elution gradient of 0–25 min at 20% B, 25–30 min at 100% B, and 30–35 min at 20% B.…”

“…The mobile phases used for sample elution were A (water/0.5% phosphoric acid) and B (methanol), and the separation was carried out at a constant temperature of 40 • C. Spectrophotometric measurements were taken at 280 nm. To identify the compounds present in the ethanolic extract, we compared the observed peaks' retention time and UV spectra with those of an authentic reference solution (5 mg/mL) performed on the same column under the same conditions [82].…”

Chemical Analysis of the Antihyperglycemic, and Pancreatic α-Amylase, Lipase, and Intestinal α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Cannabis sativa L. Seed Extracts

“…The compounds were identified by comparing their retention times and UV spectra with those of established standards. The chromatographic data were analyzed according to the strategy provided by Loukili et al [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Analyzing the Bioactive Properties and Volatile Profiles Characteristics of Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw: Exploring its Potential for Pharmacological Applications

“…For example, loukili et al discovered that methanolic OD seeds extract contains significant amounts of syringic acid, vanillic acid, kaempferol and quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside. [17] According to Jelena et al, quercetin and kaempferol were only in trace amounts in seed and juice extracts. Myricetin was also found in trace amounts in all extracts.…”