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. 2018 Nov 27;23(12):3104.
doi: 10.3390/molecules23123104.

Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) from Mali, as a Source of Health-Promoting Compounds

Alessandra Braca  1   2 , Chiara Sinisgalli  3 , Marinella De Leo  4   5 , Beatrice Muscatello  6 , Pier Luigi Cioni  7 , Luigi Milella  8 , Angela Ostuni  9 , Sergio Giani  10 , Rokia Sanogo  11
Affiliations

Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) from Mali, as a Source of Health-Promoting Compounds

Alessandra Braca et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Background: Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae), also known as baobab, is a tree attracting recent interest especially due to the high nutritional value of the fruit pulp. However, few studies are reported on the secondary metabolite content, showing high variability depending on the geographic region.

Methods: In this study, the chemical profiles of Malian commercial baobab fruits and leaves, focused on phenolic content, were investigated by HPLC coupled with a photodiode array (PDA)/UV and an electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometer (MS) and gas chromatography (GC)/MS. In addition, the extracts of fruit pulps obtained from three different markets (Fruits 1, 2, and 3) were evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition.

Results: Baobab fruit pulps were found to be rich in procyanidins and flavonol glycosides, with tiliroside as the major constituent. The baobab leaves showed a similar profile respect to the fruits, but with more detected phenolics. All fruit pulp extracts exerted antioxidant activity (highest for Fruit 3) and higher α-glucosidase inhibition than acarbose used as standard.

Conclusions: This study confirmed the variability of baobab with different origins and indicated Malian species baobab as a promising source of health-promoting substances.

Keywords: Adansonia digitata; LC-ESI-MS/MS; antidiabetic activity; antioxidant activity; baobab; phenols; tiliroside; volatile organic compounds.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) values obtained comparing TPC, DPPH, FRAP, BCB, NO, and SO results. DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; FRAP: ferric reducing antioxidant power; BCB: β-carotene bleaching assay; TPC: total polyphenolic content; RACI: relative antioxidant capacity index.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Concentration-dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase by baobab fruit pulp extracts and acarbose (standard).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Inhibition of α-glucosidase by baobab fruit pulp extracts and acarbose (standard). Experiments were carried out in triplicate and data were reported as mean ± SD. Significant differences (p < 0.05) are highlighted with different letters (a, a,b and b).
Figure 4
Figure 4
HPLC-ESI-MS/MS profiles of three Malian commercial samples of baobab pulp fruit (Fruits 1, 2, and 3) and leaves. Peak characteristics are showed in Table 2.
Figure 4
Figure 4
HPLC-ESI-MS/MS profiles of three Malian commercial samples of baobab pulp fruit (Fruits 1, 2, and 3) and leaves. Peak characteristics are showed in Table 2.
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