Functional Properties of Fruits of Common Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) Extract

Abstract

Common medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) is a long-lived plant with hard fruits, which are harvested in the fall and stored in cold and dark places. The aim of the work was to obtain the extract from freeze-dried fruits of medlar. Then, the samples were purified on a column with Amberlite XAD-16 ion exchange resin (two fractions were obtained and tested in further steps: methanol (MF) and water (WF)). A quantitative analysis of the polyphenolic compounds and selected elements was performed. In addition, in vitro tests of antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of the extracts were carried out. The applied methodology included the determination of antidiabetic activity by diffusion method, antioxidant activity by ABTS and FRAP methods, elemental analysisby atomic spectrometry, and quantitative and qualitative determination of phenolic composition by UPLC method. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the MF of the medlar preparation, which was 245.31 μM Trolox/g (in ABTS test). Both fractions showed positive antidiabetic effects. For WF, even a small concentration of 1 mg/mL DMSO, the percentage of α-amylase inhibition was 35%. The WF dominated in terms of the total content of phenolic compounds (mainly gallic, procatechic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids).

Enrichment of Cookies with Fruits and Their By-Products: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Sensory Changes

“…These substances consist of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, sterols, phenolic compounds (including flavonoids and non-flavonoids), and dietary fiber [ 4 ]. Recent studies have provided valuable insights into the potential health-promoting effects of bioactive compounds present in fruits and FBP: anti-aging [ 5 ], antioxidant [ 6 , 7 ], anticancer [ 8 , 9 ], antiproliferative, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-inflammatory [ 10 ], antidiabetic [ 11 , 12 ], antimicrobial [ 9 , 13 , 14 ], anti-inflammatory [ 15 , 16 ], hepatoprotective [ 17 , 18 ], and neuroprotective [ 8 , 19 ] ( Figure 1 ). These beneficial properties of fruits can make them valuable ingredients in the production of functional food products such as shortbread cookies.…”

“…Molecules 2023, 28, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 28 antiproliferative, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-inflammatory [10], antidiabetic [11,12], antimicrobial [9,13,14], anti-inflammatory [15,16], hepatoprotective [17,18], and neuroprotective [8,19] (Figure 1). These beneficial properties of fruits can make them valuable ingredients in the production of functional food products such as shortbread cookies.…”

Anti-Diabetic Potential of Polyphenol-Rich Fruits from the Maleae Tribe—A Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Animal and Human Trials

“…extracts [37,42]), and the inhibition of AGE formation (Sorbus aucuparia extracts [43]). Moreover, the reduction in α-glucosidase activity was also observed for protocatechuic, ferulic, and vanillic acids from Chaenomeles sp., Mespilus germanica, and Pyrus bretschneideri extracts [63,87,90].…”

The Possibility of Using Fruit-Bearing Plants of Temperate Climate in the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes

“…10.2. Antidiabetic Properties of Fruit (Figure 9a) Żółnierczyk et al [92] showed that aqueous and methanol extracts from M. germanica fruit inhibited α-amylase activity against acarbose. With dose reduction, the activity of inhibition of α-amylase decreased, with the aqueous extract showing the highest activity compared to other fractions.…”