(M1130-01-03) Exploring the Pharmacological Properties of Spondias mombin L. Seed Extract

Purpose: Spondias mombin L., also called cajá, is a fruit native to Brazil with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, attributed to bioactive compounds such as rutin, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid (Santos É et al., 2023). Despite the fruit being sold fresh or as pulp, the seed is usually discarded, but it could be better utilized (Sinan et al., 2021). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity and compounds present in cajá seed.

Methods: To extract the sample, it was macerated using 70% ethanol, followed by rotary evaporation and lyophilization. The sample's antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH and FRAP assays. In addition, the presence of tannins, flavonoids, and total phenolics was also characterized.

Results: The results of the DPPH assay showed that the sample had an antioxidant activity of 89.55 ± 3.82% and an EC₅₀ of 2.42 mg/mL, while in the FRAP assay, it had an antioxidant activity of 8.01 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g of sample and an E₅₀ of 6.78 mg/mL. The sample also had 19.70 ± 0.36 mg GAE/g of sample in the total phenolics test, 79.61 ± 6.73 mg QE/g of sample in the flavonoids test, and 57.33 ± 0.67 mg TAE/L in the tannins test. Comparing these results with those obtained in a study analyzing the stem bark of cajá extracted by water, it is important to note that even though they belong to the same species, they are different plant parts that will present varying amounts of active compounds. The stem bark analysis found an EC₅₀ of 0.01 ± 1.09 mg/mL, 183.5 ± 1.89 mg GAE/g of sample for total phenolics, and 15.64 ± 1.04 mg QE/g of sample for flavonoids.

Conclusion: Therefore, the extraction method and reagent used may interfere with the results. Nonetheless, these findings suggest that cajá seed extract can be a valuable source of antioxidants and phenolic compounds, and its utilization as a by-product can be explored for future use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations.

References: C., . . . Mazzola, P. G. (2023). Spondias sp: Shedding Light on Its Vast Pharmaceutical Potential. Molecules, 28(4). doi:10.3390/molecules28041862
Sinan, K. I., Zengin, G., Zheleva-Dimitrova, D., Gevrenova, R., Picot-Allain, M. C. N., Dall'Acqua, S., . . . Mahomoodally, M. F. (2021). Exploring the Chemical Profiles and Biological Values of Two Spondias Species (S. dulcis and S. mombin): Valuable Sources of Bioactive Natural Products. Antioxidants (Basel), 10(11), 1771. doi:10.3390/antiox10111771

Acknowledgements: This research was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), grant numbers 2022/06228-2, 2020/11333-4, 2021/00319-3, 2018/06475-4 and 2022/11241-8.


Fig 1. Graphical abstract