Protective, Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of Grapefruit IntegroPectin on SH-SY5Y Cells

Abstract

Tested in vitro on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, grapefruit IntegroPectin is a powerful protective, antioxidant and antiproliferative agent. The strong antioxidant properties of this new citrus pectin, and its ability to preserve mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology, severely impaired in neurodegenerative disorders, make it an attractive therapeutic and preventive agent for the treatment of oxidative stress-associated brain disorders. Similarly, the ability of this pectic polymer rich in RG-I regions, as well as in naringin, linalool, linalool oxide and limonene adsorbed at the outer surface, to inhibit cell proliferation or even kill, at high doses, neoplastic cells may have opened up new therapeutic strategies in cancer research. In order to take full advantage of its vast therapeutic and preventive potential, detailed studies of the molecular mechanism involved in the antiproliferative and neuroprotective of this IntegroPectin are urgently needed.

Antioxidant Activity of Citrus Limonoids and Investigation of Their Virucidal Potential against SARS-CoV-2 in Cellular Models

“…Nature-derived bioactives (NDBs) have been used throughout history as traditional medicines, and many clinically used drugs have been inspired by natural products, which constitute a broad biodiversity of molecules naturally selected over millennia of evolution. Several NDBs are able to counteract oxidative stress [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], thus also presenting an antiviral effect [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Recently, Prasansuklab and coworkers reviewed potential antiviral natural compounds with multiple targets related to coronaviruses.…”

“…This research opened future prospective about some classes of natural compounds [ 14 ]. Most of the active molecules showed the inhibition of the enzyme Mpro in millimolar concentrations [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Flavonoids in Lemon and Grapefruit IntegroPectin**

“…Along with the unique molecular structure of these new pectins, with very low degree of esterification and high amount of RG−I “hairy” region, [6] these results shed further light on the high bactericidal, antioxidant, antiproliferative and mitoprotective activity of grapefruit IntegroPectin,[ 4 , 5 ] and the neuro‐ and mitoprotective action of lemon IntegroPectin. [6] In the former case, the IntegroPectin polymer chains rich in RG−I regions act as carriers of adsorbed naringin, α‐terpineol and linalool, [3] which are powerful antibacterial agents particularly against Gram‐positive bacteria, permeating the hydrophobic S. aureus cell membrane, [31] with subsequent likely hydrolysis of naringin into highly antimicrobial naringenin.…”

“…Preliminary evidence of synergy seems to emerge via the combined broad scope bioactivity of the i) citrus flavonoids identified in this study, ii) terpenes and other volatile compounds adsorbed at their surface, [3] and the unique molecular structure of these new pectins isolated after freeze‐drying the cavitation‐based aqueous extract. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ] The results of further ongoing biological and structural investigations will be reported in due course.…”

“…Indeed, along with the aforementioned pronounced antibacterial activity,[ 2 , 3 ] grapefruit IntegroPectin was recently shown to exert high in vitro neuroprotective, mitoprotective and antiproliferative activity towards neuronal model cells. [5] Lemon IntegroPectin, in its turn, shows exceptionally high in vitro neuro‐ and mitoprotective activity towards the same human neuron model cells. [6] …”