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The Hull of Ripe Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera L.) as a Source of New Promising Melanogenesis Inhibitors

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Abstract

In the present study an acidified methanol pistachio hull extract was investigated for antioxidant and inhibitory effects on melanin biosynthesis by in vitro and in vivo assays. The chromatographic analysis revealed that cyanidin-3-O-galactoside represents the main compound (98.37%). The pistachio hull extract efficiently inhibits the mono and diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase (IC50= 141.07 and 116.08 μg/mL, respectively) and it was able, thanks to its strong antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities, to hinder the l-DOPA auto-oxidation in a concentration-dependent manner (125–500 μg/mL). Results of in vivo assay showed that the treatment with pistachio hull extract (10 μg/mL) reduced pigmentation in zebrafish embryos at early stages of development (60.01% of inhibition vs control). In conclusion, these findings suggest that the ripe pistachio hull may be considered as a promising source of antioxidant and skin whitening agents for the development of new products useful in preventing the pigmentation disorders in humans and/or to improve the food quality.

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Abbreviations

PHE :

Pistachio hull extract

RP-LC-DAD-MS/MS :

Reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

IC 50 :

Half maximal inhibitory concentration

l -DOPA :

l-dihydroxyphenylalanine

ROS :

Reactive oxygen species

HPLC :

High pressure liquid chromatography

RT :

Room temperature

DAD :

Diode array detector

ESI :

Electrospray ionization

UV-Vis :

Ultraviolet-visible

MS :

Mass spectrometry

FRAP :

Ferric reducing antioxidant power

ORAC :

Oxygen radical absorbance capacity

TEAC :

Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity

DPPH :

2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical

C.L. :

Confident limits

S.D. :

Standard deviation

TPTZ :

2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride

AAPH :

2,2′-Azinobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride

ABTS :

2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)

EDTA :

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

DMSO :

Dimethyl sulfoxide

hpf :

Hour post fertilization

PTU :

Phenylthiourea

BHT :

Butylhydroxytoluene

BHA :

Butylated hydroxyanisole

CTL- :

Negative control

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Funding

This work was supported by “FFABR funding 2017” (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, MIUR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Foundation Prof. Antonio Imbesi, University of Messina, Piazza Pugliatti 1, 98122, Messina, Italy

    Antonella Smeriglio

  2. Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Giovanni Palatucci, 98168, Messina, Italy

    Antonella Smeriglio, Valeria D’Angelo, Marcella Denaro, Domenico Trombetta & Maria Paola Germanò

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  1. Antonella Smeriglio
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  2. Valeria D’Angelo
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  3. Marcella Denaro
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  4. Domenico Trombetta
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  5. Maria Paola Germanò
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Contributions

Experimental design: Antonella Smeriglio, Valeria D’Angelo, Marcella Denaro Domenico Trombetta, Maria Paola Germanò; Analytical determinations: Antonella Smeriglio, Marcella Denaro, Domenico Trombetta; Statistical analysis and data interpretation: Antonella Smeriglio, Valeria D’Angelo, Marcella Denaro Domenico Trombetta, Maria Paola Germanò; Manuscript draft preparation: Antonella Smeriglio, Valeria D’Angelo, Marcella Denaro Domenico Trombetta, Maria Paola Germanò; Revision of the draft: Antonella Smeriglio, Valeria D’Angelo, Marcella Denaro Domenico Trombetta, Maria Paola Germanò Supervision:, Domenico Trombetta, Maria Paola Germanò.

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Correspondence to Domenico Trombetta.

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Smeriglio, A., D’Angelo, V., Denaro, M. et al. The Hull of Ripe Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera L.) as a Source of New Promising Melanogenesis Inhibitors. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 76, 111–117 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-021-00883-x

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