Geographical characterization by MAE-HPLC and NIR methodologies and carbonic anhydrase inhibition of Saffron components. (15th April 2017) - Nescatelli, Riccardo
Highlights: Recovery of crocin 1, picrocrocin and safranal by HPLC-DAD after microwave extraction. NIR spectroscopy was applied to Saffron of different geographical origins. A chemometric method of classification faster than HPLC-DAD analysis was developed. Biological activity against five isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase was evaluated. Abstract: A microwave-assisted extraction method was optimised for the recovery of bioactive compounds from Crocus sativus L. stigmas with the use of water/ethanol mixture. HPLC-DAD was employed to evaluate the extraction parameters, in particular, solvent type and volume, and the duration of the procedure. Microwave-assisted extraction enhanced the recovery of the active principles, limiting extraction time and solvent waste. Moreover, NIR experiments were performed in order to compare spectra in pseudo-absorbance of Saffron samples with different geographical origins through the application of the chemometric techniques. Moreover, the biological evaluation of crocin 1, safranal and its semisynthetic derivatives as selective inhibitors of five isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase was also explored.