Species-Specific Antioxidant Power and Bioactive Properties of the Extracts Obtained from Wild Mediterranean <i>Calendula</i> Spp. (Asteraceae)
2019
Concetta Maria Messina | Angelo Troia | Rosaria Arena | Simona Manuguerra | Theodora Ioannou | Eleonora Curcuraci | Giuseppe Renda | Claire Hellio | Andrea Santulli
In this study we focused on four taxa of the genus <i>Calendula</i> (<i>C. maritima, C. suffruticosa</i> subsp. <i>fulgida</i>, <i>C. arvensis</i>, and the hybrid between the first two ones), collected in Mediterranean area (Sicily). Six extracts for each species were obtained using solvents with increasing polarity (hexane, ethanol 80%, acetone 70%, and water) and through extraction by supercritical fluids (SFE). It has been observed that the solvent with the highest extraction efficiency was ethanol 80% for all species. However, SFE extracts showed high antioxidant activity comparable to the ethanol 80% extract (polyphenol, DPPH, and reducing power method). These findings were confirmed by in vitro analysis (MTT assay) where it was observed that the tested concentration (24 µg/mL), obtained from ethanol 80% and SFE extracts, showed a protective effect comparable to that induced by a synthetic antioxidant. Extraction with SFE ensured a great selectivity by avoiding the use of toxic organic solvents and thus consisted of a promising technique for sustainable production of <i>Calendula</i> extracts.
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