ABSTRACT
Chemical composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of (Pistacia khinjuk) hull essential oil (EO) were evaluated in this study. The EO was isolated and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using 6 strains of Gram-positive and negative bacteria. DPPH radical scavenging (DPPH) and ß-Caroten Bleaching (BCB) assays were used to measure antioxidant activity of the EO. In vitro cytotoxic activity was measured using MTT assay. Fifty-six compounds representing 99.5% of the total oil composition were identified. In the antibacterial results, Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most susceptible strain (MIC and MBCâ¯=â¯16⯵g/ml). Antioxidant IC50 values were respectively 19.03⯱â¯0.001 and 49.22⯱â¯0.005⯵g/mL. The IC50 indexes of cytotoxic tests were 29.6, 37.3 and 41.1⯵g/mL for MCF-7, PC3 and DU-145â¯cell lines, respectively.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Pistacia/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/isolation & purification , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Biphenyl Compounds/metabolism , Cell Survival/drug effects , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/physiology , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/physiology , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Microbial Viability/drug effects , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/isolation & purification , Picrates/metabolism , beta Carotene/metabolismABSTRACT
Iran is one of the main suppliers of pistachio for the European market accounting for over 90% of its demands; hence, efficient analytical methods are required for detection of mycotoxins contamination in pistachio kernels before exporting them. In this study, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels in five pistachio cultivars collected from four sites of Iran, were measured by HPLC. Based on the results, risk assessment for AFB1 and OTA residues was done. The highest mean concentrations of AFB1 and OTA were found in Ahmad-aghaei (4.33 and 2.19â¯ng/g, respectively) and Akbari (4.08 and 1.943â¯ng/g, respectively) cultivars from Rafsanjan, Iran. Even the highest concentrations of AFB1 and OTA in analyzed samples were lower than the corresponding maximum limits set by EU authorities. The hazard index (HI) value for consumers of Iranian pistachio is below one. It could be concluded that consumption of pistachio cultivated in these regions poses no health risk of mycotoxins exposure.
Subject(s)
Aflatoxin B1/analysis , Food Contamination/analysis , Nuts/chemistry , Ochratoxins/analysis , Pistacia , Environmental Monitoring , Humans , Iran , Risk AssessmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In this study, the levels and antioxidant activities of some secondary metabolites isolated from five pistachio (Pistacia vera) cultivars collected from four different geographical regions of Iran, were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total phenolic compounds levels were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Total flavonoid content was determined as AlCl3 complex and expressed as mg of quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry extract and total proantocyanidins content was expressed as mg of catechin equivalents (CA)/g dry extract. In order to evaluated the antioxidant activity of the compounds, DPPH and FRAP assays were used. RESULTS: The highest level of total phenols (156.42 mg GA/g DE), total flavonoids (130.94 mg QE/g DE) and total proantocyanidins (152.816 mg CA/g DE) were obtained in Akbari cultivar from Rafsanjan, followed by Badami-e-sefid and Ahmad aghaei. The lowest amount of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total proanthocyanidin content (TPrAC) were found in Badami-e-sefid from Feizabad (128.140 mg GA/g DE, 93.176 mg QE/g DE and 118.870 mg CA/g DE, respectively). Also, a positive correlation (r2=0.9834) was found between antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds. CONCLUSION: Pistachio increased their phytochemical compounds to contrast with abiotic stress. Our data could be useful for introducing special characteristics to the plants, and can be considered when planning a new breeding program or choosing a specific cultivar for a particular use.
ABSTRACT
Pistachio is an important horticultural product and Iran is considered as a main pistachio producing country. Assessment of heavy metals in this export fruit is crucial for protecting public health against toxic heavy metals. The concentration of selected heavy metals in soil, water and five pistachio cultivars from four geographical regions of Iran were measured. Although none of the elements were detected in water irrigation, infield metal content in the soil had good correlation with that of pistachio. The highest amounts of Al, As, Co, Ni and Se were reported in samples collected from Sarakhs, Iran. Considering both cultivar and region effects on selected heavy metals concentration, Kaleghoochi cultivar from Sarakhs site showed the highest amount of Al, As, Ni and Se. The maximum concentration of Hg was found in Akbari cultivar collected from Damghan. In the Akbari and the Ahmad aghaei cultivars collected from Sarakhs and Damghan cultivation zones, respectively, the highest amount of Co were observed. Based on our results, the HI value for the consumers of Iranian pistachio was 0.066. It seems that the levels of heavy metals in these pistachio samples pose no risk to consumers.
