Gabriele Loris Beccaro

Botanicals in Ribes nigrum bud-preparations: An analytical fingerprinting to evaluate the bioactive contribution to total phytocomplex

Abstract Context. Ribes nigrum L. (Grossulariaceae) is among the most commonly used herbal medicines and it is popularized for its alleged tonic effect and curative and restorative properties. The current practice of identifying herbal extracts is by measuring the concentration of the main botanicals. Their concentrations are used to characterize the herbal preparations and fingerprinting is recommended by the main Pharmacopeias as a potential and reliable strategy for the quality control of complex mixtures. Objective: The aim of this research was to perform an analytical study of R. nigrum bud-preparations, in order to identify and quantify the main bioactive compounds, obtaining a specific chemical fingerprint to evaluate the single class contribution to herbal preparation phytocomplex. Materials and methods: The same analyses were performed using a high-performance liquid chromatograph-diode array detector both on University lab preparations and on commercial preparations from different Italian locations. Different chromatographic methods were used to analyse the macerated samples, two for polyphenols and one for terpenic compounds. Results. Ribes nigrum was identified as a rich source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. The observed analytical firgerprint demonstrated that these bud-preparations represent a rich source of terpenic and polyphenolic compounds, especially catechins and phenolic acids. Discussion and conclusion: Analytical fingerprinting could be an important tool to study the assessment of chemical composition and bioactivities of plant-derived products, helping to find new sources of natural health-promoting compounds: this study allowed the development of an effective tool for quality control through botanical fingerprinting of bud preparations.

Insights in the chestnut genetic diversity in Canton Ticino (Southern Switzerland)

Abstract Castanea sativa Miller displays a high variability of morphological and ecological traits, vegetative and reproductive habits, nut morphology, wood characteristics, adaptability, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The present range of distribution of the species has been strongly influenced by human migrations and it is thought that Romans played a crucial role in the spread of the cultivation in Europe, although in some areas there is also evidence of local domestication and spontaneous spread of the tree after the last glacial period. In Switzerland chestnut stands are found mostly in the South (Canton Ticino), a region where the debate about the origin of the local germplasm, whether derived from the survival or spontaneous migration of C. sativa on the territory or due to the introduction of the tree during the Roman colonisation, is still open. This study aims contributing to depict the chestnut genetic situation of the species in Canton Ticino as a contribution to the debate about the native character of the species. The study area is located in Switzerland, on the southern slopes of the Alps, where 3 C. sativa populations were sampled and analysed at 9 SSR loci. Populations showed a high degree of diversity, as it is observed in most natural population of tree species: all nine SSR loci were polymorphic (no fixed alleles were detected), and genetic diversity, measured by expected heterozygosity, was high ranging in the populations between 0.647 and 0.721, on average. Results suggest that three homogeneous gene pools contributed to the formation of the 3 populations sampled. The genetic germplasm structuring of the analysed chestnut stands is very mild as confirmed by the relatively low level of genetic differentiation and divergence observed among sites.

Serviceberry, a berry fruit with growing interest of industry: Physicochemical and quali-quantitative health-related compound characterisation

n Abstractn n n Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medik., commonly called serviceberry, is a potential functional food that is also used for its medicinal purposes. This work evaluated the potential of a cultivated serviceberry species as a functional food by characterising its physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, phenolics and other phytochemicals selected as health-promoting biomarkers, using high-performance liquid chromatography. The most important compound class identified was polyphenols (62.10%), followed by organic acids (22.63%), monoterpenes (7.95%), and vitamins (7.32%). Results showed that serviceberry fruits could be good sources of phenolic constituents, as catechins (343.46u2009±u200929.46u2009mg/100 gFW), anthocyanins (220.66u2009±u200917.43u2009mg/100u2009gFW), and tannins (209.29u2009±u20097.81u2009mg/100u2009gFW) (FWu2009=u2009fresh weight). These results highlight the potential role of A. canadensis fruits as a functional food. Further studies are needed to identify several genotypes for breeding to get suitable cultivars for fresh consumption and processing.n n

Bud Extracts as New Phytochemical Source for Herbal Preparations — Quality Control and Standardization by Analytical Fingerprint

The use of buds for therapeutic purposes dates back many centuries. Ancient Indian medicine (Ayurveda) used, and still uses, plant buds for therapeutic purposes. In Western Europe, Galen (second century A.D.) prepared Acopon, one of the most renowned vulnerary balsams of that time, by soaking poplar buds in olive oil for three months. Nicolas De Myrepse, a medieval Greek physician, revived this idea and formulated the famous “Unguentum Populeum.”