Bioactivity profiles of six baobab fruit pulp powders via planar chromatography hyphenated with effect-directed analysis

Ebrahim Azadniya; Michael Krawinkel; Gertrud E Morlock

doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123873

Bioactivity profiles of six baobab fruit pulp powders via planar chromatography hyphenated with effect-directed analysis

J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2023 Sep 1:1229:123873. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123873. Epub 2023 Sep 3.

Authors

Ebrahim Azadniya¹, Michael Krawinkel², Gertrud E Morlock³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Nutritional Science, Chair of Food Science, as well as Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
² Institute of Nutritional Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Wilhelmstrasse 20, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
³ Institute of Nutritional Science, Chair of Food Science, as well as Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: Gertrud.Morlock@uni-giessen.de.

PMID: 37725851
DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123873

Abstract

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp has a high nutrient content and has been traditionally used for medicinal purposes (e.g., as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent) that may help protect against chronic diseases. Six different baobab fruit pulp powders were investigated using three different extractants and analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) hyphenated with antibacterial bioassays and enzyme inhibition assays. The developed non-target effect-directed screening was performed after extraction with pentyl acetate - ethanol 1:1 (V/V) on the HPTLC plate silica gel 60 using toluene - ethyl acetate - methanol 6:3:1 (V/V/V) as mobile phase system and derivatization via the anisaldehyde sulfuric acid reagent for detection. The physico-chemical profiles of the six baobab fruit pulp powder extracts were comparable, although the intensity of some zones was moderately different. The following effect-directed profiling via tyrosinase, α-glucosidase, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition assays as well as antibacterial Aliivibrio fischeri and Bacillus subtilis bioassays revealed one prominent multipotent bioactive compound zone in common, more or less active in all five studied (bio)assays. Via the recording of high-resolution mass spectra, this compound zone was tentatively assigned to coeluting saturated (palmitic acid 16:0 and stearic acid 18:0), monounsaturated (oleic acid 18:1), and polyunsaturated (linoleic acid 18:2 and linolenic acid 18:3) fatty acids. This finding was confirmed by other studies, which already proved individual activities of fatty acids. The first (bio)activity profiling of baobab fruit pulp powders via HPTLC-effect-directed analysis revealed that the baobab fruit could be considered as a functional food, however, further research is needed to study the impact on health and the influences on the bioactivity arising from different climates, years and soils or regions.

Keywords: Adansonia; African baobab; Bioactivity profiling; Functional food; HPTLC-effect-directed analysis.

MeSH terms

Acetylcholinesterase
Adansonia* / chemistry
Anti-Bacterial Agents / analysis
Chromatography, Thin Layer / methods
Fatty Acids / analysis
Fruit / chemistry
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Powders / analysis

Substances

Powders
Acetylcholinesterase
Plant Extracts
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Fatty Acids