Chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller.) Burs Extracts and Functional Compounds: UHPLC-UV-HRMS Profiling, Antioxidant Activity, and Inhibitory Effects on Phytopathogenic Fungi

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 24; no. 2; p. 302
• Main Authors: Esposito, Tiziana, Celano, Rita, Pane, Catello, Piccinelli, Anna Lisa, Sansone, Francesca, Picerno, Patrizia, Zaccardelli, Massimo, Aquino, Rita P, Mencherini, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.01.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agricultural wastes; Alternaria alternata; Antifungal activity; Antimicrobial agents; Antioxidants; antiradical and antifungal activity; Botrytis cinerea; By products; Carbohydrates; Castanea sativa; Chestnut; chestnut burs; Economic impact; Ellagic acid; Ethanol; Flavonols; Food; Fruits; Fungi; Fungicides; Fusarium solani; Germination; Harvesting; High-performance liquid chromatography; hydrolysable tannins (HTs); Impact analysis; Lipids; Liquid chromatography; Metabolites; Mycelia; Pathogens; Phenols; Phytopathogenic fungi; Polyphenols; Scavenging; Solid wastes; Spore germination; Vitamin E; Botrytis cinerea; hydrolysable tannins (HTs); chestnut burs; flavonols; antiradical and antifungal activity; Fusarium solani; Alternaria alternata
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules24020302

Chestnut ( Miller.) burs (CSB) represent a solid waste produced during the edible fruit harvesting. Their usual disposal in the field increases the environmental and economic impact of the agricultural process. HPLC-UV-HRMS profiling revealed that CSB organic and aqueous extracts (CSB-M, CSB-H, CSB-A) contain several hydrolyzable tannins, mainly ellagitannins, and glycoside flavonols. Ellagic acid (EA) and chestanin are predominant components (5⁻79 and 1⁻13 mg/g dry extract, respectively). NMR analysis confirmed the chemical structures of the major constituents from CSB-M. The extracts displayed a significant scavenging activity against DPPH (EC 12.64⁻24.94 µg/mL) and ABTS⁺ radicals (TEAC value 2.71⁻3.52 mM Trolox/mg extract). They were effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth (EC 6.04⁻15.51 mg/mL) and spore germination (EC 2.22⁻11.17 mg/mL) of and . At the highest concentration, CSB-M was also active against both in mycelium and spore form (EC 64.98 and 16.33 mg/mL). The EA contributed to the antifungal activity of extracts (EC on spore germination 13.33⁻112.64 µg/mL). Our results can support the upgrading of chestnut burs from agricultural wastes to a resource of natural fungicides for managing fruit and vegetable diseases.