Antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties of extracts of the Mediterranean parasitic plant Cytinus hypocistis

摘要: Cytinus is an endophytic parasitic plant occurring in South Africa, Madagascar, and the Mediterranean region. We have extracted inflorescences (the only visible part of plant, emerging from host roots at time blossom) hypocistis collected Sardinia, Italy, explored antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, cytotoxic activities extracts. Extracts C. were prepared using increasing polarity solvents: cyclohexane, ethanol, water. Phenolic composition determined through spectrophotometric assays, antioxidant activity with both electron-transfer hydrogen-atom assays. Nine different bacterial strains, including clinical isolate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, used agar diffusion method. Cytotoxicity was tested against B16F10 melanoma cell line. While cyclohexane extracts where biologically inactive, ethanolic aqueous displayed intriguing several Gram-positive S. Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumanii. Compared to conventional antibiotics like cloxacillin, ampicillin, oxytetracycline, less active absolute terms, but a wider spectrum (notably, cloxacillin ampicillin inactive aureus). The extract found be particularly rich polyphenols, most hydrolysable tannins. extracts, methodologies, resulted high case accordance phenolics. In detail, ethanol presented about twofold higher than water sample when oxygen radical absorbance capacity-pyrogallol red (ORAC-PYR) assay. analysis line showed that not significant effect, even highest dose (1000 µg/mL). Tests also had greatest tyrosinase inhibition activity, indicating hypocistis-derived substances could find application food formulations as anti-browning agents. Overall, these results point need further studies on aimed isolating fully characterizing its compounds.