INVESTIGADORES
ISLA Maria Ines
artículos
Título:
Nutraceutical properties and toxicity studies of fruits from four Cactaceae species
Autor/es:
IRIS C. ZAMPINI , ROXANA ORDOÑEZ , NORBERTO P. GIANNINI , PEDRO G. BLENDINGER, MARIA INES ISLA
Revista:
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Referencias:
Año: 2011 vol. 44 p. 2345 - 2351
ISSN:
0963-9969
Resumen:
Fruits are known as good sources of phytochemicals, essential to prevent degenerative diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. They contain a variety of antioxidants, which are useful to scavenge radical oxygen species (ROS). Considering the importance of natural products as a functional food, comparative studies between the antioxidant activity (AOA) and antimutagenic properties as well as phytochemical profile  of Cactaceae fruits (Lepismium lorentzianum, Lepismium lumbricoides, Rhipsalis floccosa, and Pfeiffera  ianthothele) from Argentinean Yungas, were performed. Different assays were applied: ABTS radical  scavenging capacity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation using â-carotene-linoleate model system and mutagenicity/antimutagenicity by Ames test. A pigment like betalain was detected in fruits of both Lepismium species; L. lorentzianum aqueous extracts showed a higher pigment content (60.6 mg BE/100 g FM) than L. lumbricoides (9.2 mg BE/100 g FM). Fruit preparations of L. lorentzianum (aqueous and ethanolic extractions) showed significantly higher total phenolic compound and pigments content than the other berries. In all preparations, high antioxidant activity was demonstrated. Lepismium species were more active than Rhipsalis and Pfeiffera (SC50ABTS values between 1.3 and 4.5 μg/ml and IC50 β-carotene-linoleate values between 9 and 45.8 μg/ml). A significant correlation between pigment and phenolic compounds content and AOA was observed. The preparations showed no sign of mutagenicity at tested concentrations (until 50 μg/ plate). A significant antimutagenic effect was observed for L. lumbricoides, and a weak effect was shown for P. ianthothele and R. floccosa. Because of the diversity and abundance of bioactive phytochemicals found in these species, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications could be proposed