In vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities of bitter almond and sweet apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) kernels

Semen armeniacae refers to the seeds of Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosaceae). The Prunus armeniaca L. plant is spreading in the Korean peninsula, China, India, Japan, North Africa, and the United States of America. The Prunus armeniaca contains 3% amygdalin, titratable acidity, sugars (saccharose, fructose, and glucose), and organic acids (citric and malic acids) in addition to prunasin and mandelonitrile. Semen armeniacae is used for the treatment of asthma and cough (with expectoration and fever). It is used in constipation therapy. It is also used as eardrops for inflammation and tinnitus and the treatment of skin diseases. The pharmacological effect of Semen armeniacae includes experimental and clinical pharmacology. Experimental pharmacology includes anti-cholinesterase, neuroprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, antitumor, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antitussive activities. Decoction of Semen armeniacae to 2275 patients with COVID-19 improves clinical parameters such as lung state, clinical cure rate, number of cough reduction cases, symptom score of cough, viral nucleic acid testing, and inflammatory biomarkers. Oral intake of Semen armeniacae extract for 28 days did not cause any hematological, biochemical, or histological changes in rats. The Prunus armeniaca plant declines oxidative stress, inflammation, fat degeneration, and necrosis in alcohol-induced in-vivo and in-vitro liver injury models. There is no effect on fertility in rats after eating Semen armeniacae for 5 weeks. The average daily dose= 3-9 g of Semen armeniacae rinsing in boiling water then adding to a decoction. In conclusion, Semen armeniacae has anti-cholinesterase, neuroprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, antitumor, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antitussive activities.

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A Comparative Study of the in Vitro Antimicrobial and Synergistic Effect of Essential Oils from Laurus nobilis L. and Prunus armeniaca L. from Morocco with Antimicrobial Drugs: New Approach for Health Promoting Products

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics9040140 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 140 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ahmed Nafis ◽

Ayoub Kasrati ◽

Chaima Alaoui Jamali ◽

Luísa Custódio ◽

Sara Vitalini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

Synergistic Effect ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

Synergistic Interaction ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Laurus Nobilis ◽

Antimicrobial Drugs ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

Laurus nobilis L. (laurel, Lauraceae) and Prunus armeniaca L. (apricot, Rosaceae) are important industrial crops and display significant biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. In this work, essential oils (EOs) prepared from the leaves of both species from Morocco were evaluated for the first time for possible synergistic in vitro antibacterial and antifungal effects with some conventional antimicrobial drugs, namely fluconazole, ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. Samples were further evaluated for chemical composition by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main volatile compounds detected in L. nobilis were eucalyptol (40.85%), α-terpinyl acetate (12.64%) and methyl eugenol (8.72%), while P. armeniaca was dominated essentially by (Z)-phytol (27.18%), pentacosane (15.11%), nonacosane (8.76%) and benzaldehyde (7.25%). Regarding antimicrobial activity, both EOs inhibited significantly all the microorganisms tested. The EO from L. nobilis had the highest activity, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 1.39 to 22.2 mg/mL for bacteria and between 2.77 and 5.55 mg/mL for yeasts. Conversely, the combination of the studied EOs with ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and fluconazol resulted in a noteworthy decrease in their individual MICs. In fact, of the 32 interactions tested, 23 (71.87%) demonstrated total synergism and 9 (28.12%) a partial synergistic interaction. The EO from L. nobilis exhibited the highest synergistic effect with all the antibiotics used, with fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index values in the range of 0.266 to 0.75 for bacteria, and between 0.258 and 0.266 for yeast. The synergistic interaction between the studied EOs and standard antibiotics may constitute promising anti-infective agents useful for treating diseases induced by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

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Nutritional and Phytochemical Traits of Apricots (Prunus Armeniaca L.) for Application in Nutraceutical and Health Industry

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061344 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1344

Author(s):

Omar Alajil ◽

Vidya R. Sagar ◽

Charanjit Kaur ◽

Shalini Gaur Rudra ◽

R. R. Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Organic Acids ◽

Total Content ◽

Prunus Armeniaca ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Total Carotenoids ◽

Antioxidant Power ◽

High Dry Matter ◽

Prunus Armeniaca L

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a nutritious fruit, rich in bioactive compounds, known for their health benefits. The present study attempts to evaluate nutritional (sugars, organic acids, minerals) and nutraceutical traits (total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, antioxidant activity) of six commercial apricot genotypes grown in India. Antioxidant activity was determined using three in-vitro assays, namely CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl). Significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed in the genotypes concerning nutritional and nutraceutical traits. Sucrose accounted for more than 60% of total sugars in most genotypes, followed by glucose and fructose. Citric acid accounted for more than 50% of the total organic acids present, followed by malic and succinic acids. Apricot is a good source of potassium (1430.07 to 2202.69 mg/100 g dwb) and iron (2.69 to 6.97 mg/100 g dwb) owing to its mineral composition. Total carotenoids content ranged from 0.44 to 3.55 mg/100 g, with β-carotene accounting for 33–84% of the total content. The results strongly suggest that genotypes ‘CITH-A-1’ and ‘CITH-A-2’, which have high dry matter and carotenoids content, are well suited for drying. ‘Roxana’ and ‘CITH-A-3’ are great for fresh consumption, while ‘Shakarpara’ and ‘Gold Cot’ are excellent for juice processing.

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