Invasive alien species as a potential source of phytopharmaceuticals : Phenolic composition and antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of Robinia pseudoacacia L. leaf and flower extracts

Uzelac, Mirela (author), Sladonja, Barbara (author), Šola, Ivana (author), Dudaš, Slavica (author), Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author), Poljuha, Danijela (author)

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), an invasive tree in Europe, commonly known for its negative impact on biodiversity, is a rich source of phenolic compounds recognized in traditional medicine. Since the metabolite profile depends on the environment and climate, this study aimed to provide the first LC-MS phytochemical screening of the black locust from the Istria region (Croatia). The compounds were extracted from leaves and flowers with 70% ethanol and 80% methanol. Total phenolics (TP) and flavonoids (TF), as well as antioxidant capacity (AC) measured by ABTS (17.49–146.41 mg TE/g DW), DPPH (24.67–118.49 mg TE/g DW), and FRAP (7.38–77.53 mg TE/g DW) assays, were higher in leaf than in flower extracts. Higher TP and total non-flavonoid (TNF) values were displayed in ethanolic than in methanolic extracts. In total, 64 compounds were identified, of which flavonols (20) and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (15) were the most represented. Flavanols such as catechin dominated in leaf extracts, followed by flavonols, with kaempferol glucuronyl rhamnosyl hexosides as the main compound, respectively. Flower extracts had the highest share of flavones, followed by ellagitannins, with luteolin dirhamnosyl hexosides and vescalagin, respectively, being predominant. The extracts had good quorum sensing, biofilm formation prevention, and eradicating capacity. The results provided new insights into the phytochemical properties of R. pseudoacacia as the first step toward its potential pharmaceutical use.

• Language: English
• Keywords: antioxidant, antibacterial, antibiofilm, antifungal, anti-quorum sensing, black locust, phenolics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 23 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 14, art. 2715
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-153017
• UDC: 634.1/.7
• ISSN on article: 2223-7747
• COBISS.SI-ID: 177421571
• Publication date in RUL: 14.12.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Plants
• Shortened title: Plants
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2223-7747
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523345433

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Robinia pseudoacacia, navadna robinija, invazivne tujerodne rastline, kemična sestava, fitofarmacevtski izdelki, fenolne spojine, protimikrobna učinkovitost, citotoksična učinkovitost