Unravelling the Phytochemical Composition and the Pharmacological Properties of an Optimized Extract from the Fruit from <i>Prunus mahaleb</i> L.: From Traditional Liqueur Market to the Pharmacy Shelf
Giustino Orlando,
Annalisa Chiavaroli,
Sabrina Adorisio,
Domenico V. Delfino,
Luigi Brunetti,
Lucia Recinella,
Sheila Leone,
Gokhan Zengin,
Alessandra Acquaviva,
Paola Angelini,
Giancarlo Angeles Flores,
Roberto Venanzoni,
Simonetta Cristina Di Simone,
Francesca Di Corpo,
Andrei Mocan,
Luigi Menghini,
Claudio Ferrante
Affiliations
Giustino Orlando
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Annalisa Chiavaroli
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Sabrina Adorisio
Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Foligno Nursing School, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Domenico V. Delfino
Section of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Foligno Nursing School, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Luigi Brunetti
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Lucia Recinella
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Sheila Leone
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Gokhan Zengin
Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Campus, Konya 42130, Turkey
Alessandra Acquaviva
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Paola Angelini
Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Giancarlo Angeles Flores
Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Roberto Venanzoni
Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Simonetta Cristina Di Simone
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Francesca Di Corpo
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Andrei Mocan
Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu HaŢieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babeş Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Luigi Menghini
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Claudio Ferrante
Department of Pharmacy, Botanic Garden “Giardino dei Semplici”, Università degli Studi “Gabriele d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Prunus mahaleb L. fruit has long been used in the production of traditional liqueurs. The fruit also displayed scavenging and reducing activity, in vitro. The present study focused on unravelling peripheral and central protective effects, antimicrobial but also anti-COVID-19 properties exerted by the water extract of P. mahaleb. Anti-inflammatory effects were studied in isolated mouse colons exposed to lipopolysaccharide. Neuroprotection, measured as a blunting effect on hydrogen-peroxide-induced dopamine turnover, was investigated in hypothalamic HypoE22 cells. Antimicrobial effects were tested against different Gram+ and Gram- bacterial strains. Whereas anti-COVID-19 activity was studied in lung adenocarcinoma H1299 cells, where the gene expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 was measured after extract treatment. The bacteriostatic effects induced on Gram+ and Gram- strains, together with the inhibition of COX-2, TNFα, HIF1α, and VEGFA in the colon, suggest the potential of P. mahaleb water extract in contrasting the clinical symptoms related to ulcerative colitis. The inhibition of the hydrogen peroxide-induced DOPAC/DA ratio indicates promising neuroprotective effects. Finally, the downregulation of the gene expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in H1299 cells, suggests the potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 virus entry in the human host. Overall, the results support the valorization of the local cultivation of P. mahaleb.
