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Introduction: Prunus dulcis Mill. is a plant cultivated for the production of its edible seeds, known as sweet almonds. In the last decades almond demand has highly increased due to their wide use in the industrial manufacturing of almond‐based foods; this has led to a huge production of waste materials, mainly corresponding to shells and husks. Objective: To achieve a deeper understanding of the chemical composition of almond husks with the aim of exploring these byproducts as a source of bioactives to be used in nutraceutical and cosmetic formulations. Methods: Methanol, ethanol and ethanol–water extracts of the almond husks were analysed by high‐resolution liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HR‐LC‐ESI‐Orbitrap‐MS) in negative ion mode. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data were acquired by using the Data‐Dependent Scan experiment, allowing the precursor ion to be selected as the most intense peak during LC‐MS analyses. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments were performed on a Bruker DRX‐600 spectrometer. Folin–Ciocalteu, DPPH• (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) and TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) assays were employed to determine the total phenolic content and the radical scavenging activity of the extracts. Results: The LC‐MS/MS analysis of the methanol extract guided the isolation of phloroglucinol derivatives, flavonoids and terpenes. Eco‐friendly extraction methods showed to be selective in extracting flavonoids while the comparison of the LC‐MS profiles of the Italian cultivars Toritto and Avola showed significant differences, confirming how different growing conditions may influence the metabolome of a plant species. Conclusion: This study led to a deeper insight into the chemical constituents of almond husks and showed how the eco‐friendly extraction resulted in an effective method to obtain extracts rich in antioxidant sources. The methanol extract of the husks of Prunus dulcis, cultivar Toritto, one of the most appreciated in Italy, was investigated by HR‐LC‐ESI‐Orbitrap‐MS analysis. The LC‐MS profile guided the isolation of compounds occurring in the methanol extract, of which the structures were elucidated by 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments. The LC‐MS profile was compared with the LC‐MS profiles of ethanol and ethanol:water extracts of cultivar Toritto and other Italian cultivars represented by the Sicilian Avola, namely Fascionello, Pizzuta and Romana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Phenolic compositions of myrtle leaf from different geographical origin were studied. • Thirty five different phenolics were characterized using LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS. • Amounts of phenolics are different in leaves from different geographical origin. • Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis were applied to discriminate samples. Abstract The species Myrtus communis L. represents a significant economic resource in Sardinia region (Italy), in fact its tissues are used both for the preparation of myrtle liquor and for essential oils or extracts with important pharmacological activities. Identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds in leaves of M. communis L. appears interesting from both a biological and ecophysiological point of view. In the present study the discrimination of phytochemical content of M. communis L. leaves from different geographic origin and cultivars, was explored by Liquid Chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS) followed by Multivariate Data Analysis and phytochemical characterization. A total of 47 compounds were detected and 35 of them were tentatively identified on the bases of their retention time, UV/Vis spectra, MS spectra and MS fragmentation patterns. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Square – Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) projection methods were applied to compare fingerprints and to discriminate the different geographical areas of the seeds used for the cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Myrtle berries have had a long history of application in the perfumery, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries as well as being used for the industrial formulation of typical sweet liqueurs. However, no data is currently available on the metabolite composition and distribution in the different parts of the berry. OBJECTIVE: In the present study a metabolomics approach followed by multivariate data analysis and phytochemical characterization of (poly) phenolic metabolites, using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry, was developed to identify novel markers in different parts of myrtle berries and to understand which part of the fruit has the most influence on the metabolomics classification of berries, based on geographic origin of the plant and the cultivars. RESULTS: By using LC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS analysis, 35 compounds were tentatively identified on the base of their retention time, UV/Vis spectra,MSspectra andMSfragmentation patterns. 19 compounds, pertaining mainly to polyphenol compounds like flavonoids and to a new class of hydrolysable tannins, were detected and identified for the first time in these berries (mainly in seeds). CONCLUSIONS: Byusing multivariate statistical analysis, predictive classification models for authenticity and geographical origin, assessment was obtained. With this study, flavonoids and anthocyanins, mainly found in the peel and pulp of the myrtle berry, were recognized as putative marker compounds to assess the geographic origin of these berries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-HIV, and cholinesterase inhibitory activities of aqueous and alcoholic extracts from leaves, stems, and flowers of Euphorbia characias. The extracts showed a high antioxidant activity and were a good source of total polyphenols and flavonoids. Ethanolic extracts from leaves and flowers displayed the highest inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, showing potential properties against Alzheimer’s disease. Antimicrobial assay showed that leaves and flowers extracts were active against all Gram-positive bacteria tested. The ethanolic leaves extract appeared to have the strongest antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus with MIC value of 312.5 μg/mL followed by Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus that also exhibited good sensitivity with MIC values of 1250 μg/mL. Moreover, all the extracts possessed anti-HIV activity. The ethanolic flower extract was the most potent inhibitor of HIV-1 RT DNA polymerase RNA-dependent and Ribonuclease H with IC50 values of 0.26 and 0.33 μg/mL, respectively. The LC-DAD metabolic profile showed that ethanolic leaves extract contains high levels of quercetin derivatives. This study suggests that Euphorbia characias extracts represent a good source of natural bioactive compounds which could be useful for pharmaceutical application as well as in food system for the prevention of the growth of food-borne bacteria and to extend the shelf-life of processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]