Phytocomplex Influences Antimicrobial and Health Properties of Concentrated Glycerine Macerates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to correlate the chemical composition of four commercial concentrated glycerine macerates (C-GMs), produced through the same extraction method, with their in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties, in order to evaluate their potential for healing upper airway diseases. C-GMs of Carpinus betulus (CB), Ficus carica (FC), Alnus glutinosa (AG) and Ribes nigrum (RN) were studied. The quality was evaluated using HPLC and IM-SPME/GC-MS systems; anti-oxidant and anti-microbial activities were assessed by the respective DPPH test, and micro-broth dilution test performed against 10 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and 10 probiotic strains. ELISA and MTT tests were used to assess the immunomodulatory activity and the cytotoxicity of C-GMs, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the number of active compounds and the in vitro C-GMs effectiveness. Furthermore, the C-GMs of AG showed the best anti-microbial activity on pathological strains and, together with CB, the best anti-oxidant activity. The ELISA test exhibited a good immunomodulatory activity of RN. In vitro data support the integrated use of C-GMs of CB, AG, and RN in presence of airway diseases, and highlight the importance of standard procedures in cultivation, harvest and post-harvest treatments, as a premise for C-GMs with consistent characteristics.

A Descriptive Chemical Composition of Concentrated Bud Macerates through an Optimized SPE-HPLC-UV-MS2 Method—Application to Alnus glutinosa, Ribes nigrum, Rosa canina, Rosmarinus officinalis and Tilia tomentosa

“…Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn Alder Buds [5] Carpinus betulus L. Hornbeam Buds [5,6] Castanea sativa Mill. and Castanea crenata Siebold and Zucc.…”

“…and Castanea crenata Siebold and Zucc. Sweet and Korean chestnut Buds [7][8][9][10] Cornus mas L. Cornelian cherry Buds [6] Corylus avellana L. Hazelnut Buds [7,9] Ficus carica L. and SSP Dottato Fig Buds [5,6,11] Fraxinus excelsior L. European ash Buds [6] Juglans regia L. Walnut Buds [7,9] Larix decidua Mill. European larch Buds [6] Pinus montana Mill.…”

“…Liebl. Sessile oak Buds [6] Ribes nigrum L. Blackcurrant Buds [5,7,9,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Rubus idaeus L. Raspberry Buds [9] Rubus ulmifolius L. or Schoot Blackberry Buds or sprouts [7,9,14,15] Rosa canina L. Dog rose Buds and young sprouts [16] Salix caprea L. Willow Buds [9] Tilia tomentosa Moench. Silver Lime Buds, quiescent buds and sprouts [6,16,17,19] Tilia vulgaris Hayne Linden Buds [7,9] Vitis vinifera Grape vine Buds [12,17] Different extraction protocols for bud macerates are described in the literature.…”

“…Generally, the fresh raw material is submitted to a cold maceration for a long extraction time (minimum 21 days and up to 3 months) with a dry weight/solvent ratio of 5%. The solvent is composed of water, ethanol and glycerol with proportion varying from 0/1/1 to 10/10/1 [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. In the case of the French Pharmacopeia protocol, the macerate is further diluted to obtain a 1DH ("Décimale Hahnemannienne") extract.…”

“…: R. idaeus L., R. ulmifolius L. or Schoot, Rosa canina L., Salix caprea L., Tilia spp. : T. tomentosa Moench., T. vulgaris Hayne and Vitis vinifera [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”