Phytochemical Analysis and Dermo-Cosmetic Evaluation of Cymbidium Sw. cultivation by-products. Circular economy in North Aegean island of Samos.

The genus Cymbidium Sw. is one of the most popular orchid commercialized either as loose flower or as potted plant in floriculture worldwide. The plant was provided by “Garoufalis“ greenhouses which produces annually more than 100,000 pots of 80 different varieties. The non- marketable parts are discarded (unsuitable flowers, leaves, pseudobulbs, roots), generating thus an enormous quantity of unutilized biomass.The above by-products (extracts and pure compounds) were investigated for their dermo-cosmetic potential. Initially, the unpolar, middle polarity and polar extracts of each part were evaluated for their antioxidant activity as well their inhibition to tyrosinase, elastase and collagenase enzymes. The middle polarity extract of pseudobulbs and roots presented important activity both in antioxidant and all three enzymatic assays. They were then submitted to chromatographic separation leading to the isolation of 14 secondary metabolites of which four phenanthrenes, two anthraquinones, two dibenzyls, two phenolic acid derivatives, two sterols, one dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol derivative and one simple phenolic compound. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity in the enzymes mentioned. Dibenzyls (gigantol, tristin), showed anti-tyrosinase activity while phenanthrenes and anthraquinones ( cymbinodin A, ephemeranthoquinone) presented anti-collagenase activity. None of the above exhibited significant activity in elastase. In conclusion, we observed that isolated metabolites act selectively on enzymes, but their combination (total extracts) shows activity on all 3 enzymes, assuming that total extract should be employed for dermo-cosmetic use rather than the isolated compounds. Hence, we re-evaluate the by-product as a high added value material from an island of North Aegean Sea.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
13. Dezember 2021