Exploring the Utility of Prunus mahaleb Extracts as a Source of Natural Bioactive Compounds for Functional Applications

Abstract

Prunus mahaleb has garnered attention as a potent medicinal agent and functional component. We aimed to detect the chemical composition and biological activities of several parts (fruit, leaves, and twigs) of P. mahaleb. Biological activities were assessed for antioxidant properties, enzyme inhibition, mutagenic/antimutagenic effects, and antibacterial efficacy. Antioxidant capabilities were evaluated using various assays, including DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating. The chemical constituents of the extracts were identified and quantified using the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method. The effects of enzyme inhibition were examined on some enzymes, including AChE, BChE, tyrosinase, amylase, and glucosidase. The Ames test was used to evaluate the mutagenic and antimutagenic properties of the plant extracts. Furthermore, a broth microdilution assay was employed to evaluate the possible antibacterial effects of the extracts against microorganisms. The methanol extract of twigs showed superior antioxidant capabilities (DPPH: 388.39 mg TE/g; ABTS: 701.50 mg TE/g; CUPRAC: 459.05 mg TE/g; FRAP: 264.99 mg TE/g). The methanol extract of twigs demonstrated the highest tyrosinase inhibitory activity (61.91 mg KAE/g). A total of 40 metabolites, mainly flavonoids, were detected through HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, revealing that ferulic acid, naringenin, and herniarin were the predominant compounds. In the Ames test, the tested extracts exhibited no mutagenic potential. The antimutagenicity assay demonstrated that methanol and ethyl acetate extracts from twigs and leaves were particularly efficient against frameshift and base pair substitution mutations induced by recognized mutagens. The metabolic activation system amplified these strong activities to inhibition rates ranging from 85% to 98%. The results from the antibacterial assay indicated antibacterial effectiveness at dosages between 6.25 and 0.195 mg/mL, particularly effective against Sarcina lutea, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings indicate that P. mahaleb can serve as a versatile raw material for the development of health-promoting applications, including medicines, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

Keywords: Prunus; antimutagenicity; antioxidant; enzyme inhibition; health‐promoter; natural agents.

FIGURE 1

Radar plot technique for the major classes identified where: POLAR, LIPO, INSOLU, and IN‐SATU, stand for the compounds' polarity, lipophilicity, solubility, flexibility, and saturation on the radar map. The ideal range for every molecular attribute is shown by the pink region. Saturation: Carbon proportion in the sp3 hybridization > 0.25; polarity: TPSA between 20 and 130 Å; flexibility: < 9 rotatable bonds; solubility: Log S < 6; sizes: MW between 150 and 500 g/mol. XLOGP3 falls between −0.7 and + 5.0 for lipophilicity.

FIGURE 2

Boiled Egg method for the evaluation of the major classes of compounds. N.B. some compounds were located out of the range as they did not reach the threshold TPSA 201.28Å2.

FIGURE 3

A comprehensive analysis of the binding interactions between enzymes/proteins and the selected compounds, along with MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations: (A) Graphical representation of docking scores for relevant proteins and enzymes. (B) Molecular interaction analysis of naringenin with S. aureus ‐MurE. (C) Molecular interaction analysis of kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside with S. aureus ‐MurE. (D) Molecular interaction analysis of kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside with E. coli ‐30S ribosome S3. (E) MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations of the S. aureus‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside. (F)MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations of the S. aureus‐MurE_Naringenin.

FIGURE 4

Molecular dynamics simulation results: (A) RMSD of S. aureus ‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside and S. aureus ‐MurE_Naringenin. (B) RMSF of S. aureus ‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside and S. aureus ‐MurE_Naringenin. (C) Solvent accessibility of S. aureus ‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside and S. aureus ‐MurE_Naringenin. (D) Minimum distance of S. aureus ‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside and S. aureus ‐MurE_Naringenin. (E) Hydrogen bonds of the S. aureus ‐MurE_Kaempferol‐7‐O‐glucoside complex. (F) Hydrogen bonds of the S. aureus ‐MurE_Naringenin complex.