The Italian “Marrone di Roccadaspide” (Castanea sativa), a labeled Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product, represents an important economic resource for the Italian market. With the aim to give an interesting opportunity to use chestnuts by-products for the development of nutraceutical and/or cosmetic formulations, the investigation of burs and leaves along with chestnuts of C. sativa, cultivar “Marrone di Roccadaspide”, has been performed. The phenolic, tannin, and flavonoid content of the MeOH extracts of “Marrone di Roccadaspide” burs, leaves, and chestnuts as well as their antioxidant activity by spectrophotometric methods (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) have been evaluated. Furthermore, a cell-based antioxidant in vitro test along with in vitro assays for the evaluation of the ability to reduce nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation and nitric oxide (NO) production have been carried out. In order to identify the secondary metabolites responsible for the high phenolic content and the strong antioxidant activity shown by leaves and burs extracts, and to highlight the differences between their chemical composition, the analysis of the metabolite profile of the MeOH extracts obtained from both by-products and chestnuts by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and multiple-stage linear ion-trap and Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-(-)ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS/MS) has been performed. LC-MS analysis allowed the identification of different classes of specialized metabolites including hydrolyzable tannins, flavonoids, ellagic acid and phenol glucoside derivatives, and triterpenoids as well as polar lipids. Our results show how the antioxidant activity of the extracts can be correlated to their high tannins and flavonoids content while polar lipids occurring in the MeOH extract of the leaves could contribute to determining its higher anti-inflammatory activity.

Over the centuries, humans have traditionally used garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a food ingredient (spice) and remedy for many diseases. To confirm this, many extensive studies recognized the therapeutic effects of garlic bulbs. More recently, black garlic (BG), made by heat-ageing white garlic bulbs, has increased its popularity in cuisine and traditional medicine around the world, but there is still limited information on its composition and potential beneficial effects. In this study, the metabolite profile of methanol extract of BG (BGE) was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in high-resolution mode. Results allowed to establish that BGE major components were sulfur derivatives, saccharides, peptides, organic acids, a phenylpropanoid derivative, saponins, and compounds typical of glycerophospholipid metabolism. Characterization of the BGE action in cancer cells revealed that antioxidant, metabolic, and hepatoprotective effects occur upon treatment as well as induction of maturation of acute myeloid leukemia cells. These results are interesting from the impact point of view of BG consumption as a functional food for potential prevention of metabolic and tumor diseases.

A new accession of myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera L.) from Sicily (Italy) was studied for the first time for its chemical and nutraceutical properties. A description of the main morphological and pomological traits was created as a tool for characterization for consumers. For this purpose, three different extracts of fresh myrobalan fruits were subjected to different analyses, including the evaluation of total phenol (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and anthocyanin (TAC) contents. The extracts exhibited a TPC in the range 34.52–97.63 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g fresh weight (FW), a TFC of 0.23–0.96 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/100 g FW, and a TAC of 20.24–55.33 cyanidine-3-O-glucoside/100 g FW. LC-HRMS analysis evidenced that the compounds mainly belong to the flavonols, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and organic acids classes. A multitarget approach was used to assess the antioxidant properties by using FRAP, ABTS, DPPH, and β-carotene bleaching tests. Moreover, the myrobalan fruit extracts were tested as inhibitors of the key enzymes related to obesity and metabolic syndrome (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and lipase). All extracts exhibited an ABTS radical scavenging activity that was higher than the positive control BHT (IC₅₀ value in the range 1.19–2.97 μg/mL). Moreover, all extracts showed iron-reducing activity, with a potency similar to that of BHT (53.01–64.90 vs 3.26 μM Fe(II)/g). The PF extract exhibited a promising lipase inhibitory effect (IC₅₀ value of 29.61 μg/mL).

This study was aimed at investigating the phytochemical profile and bioactivity of Diplotaxis harra subsp. crassifolia (Brassicaceae), a species from central–southern Sicily (Italy), where it is consumed as a salad. For this purpose, LC–ESI/HRMSⁿ analysis of the ethanolic extract was performed, highlighting the occurrence, along with flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and oxylipins, of sulfated secondary metabolites, including glucosinolates and various sulfooxy derivatives (e.g., C13 nor-isoprenoids, hydroxyphenyl, and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives), most of which were never reported before in the Brassicaeae family or in the Diplotaxis genus. Following ethnomedicinal information regarding this species used for the treatment of various pathologies such as diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, D. harra ethanolic extract was evaluated for its antioxidant potential using different in vitro tests such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), Ferric Reducing Ability Power, and β-carotene bleaching tests. The inhibitory activity of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) and pancreatic lipase was also assessed. In the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid assay, an IC₅₀ value comparable to the positive control ascorbic acid (2.87 vs. 1.70 μg/mL, respectively) was obtained. The wild-wall rocket salad extract showed a significant α-amylase inhibitory effect. Obtained results indicate that Sicilian wild-wall rocket contains phytochemicals that can prevent hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and obesity.