title: Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) Shells Extract: Phenolic Composition, Antioxidant Effect and Cytotoxic Activity on Human Cancer Cell Lines.
abstract: Hazelnut shells, a by-product of the kernel industry processing, are reported to contain high amount of polyphenols. However, studies on the chemical composition and potential effects on human health are lacking. A methanol hazelnut shells extract was prepared and dried. Our investigation allowed the isolation and characterization of different classes of phenolic compounds, including neolignans, and a diarylheptanoid, which contribute to a high total polyphenol content (193.8 ± 3.6 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of extract). Neolignans, lawsonicin and cedrusin, a cyclic diarylheptanoid, carpinontriol B, and two phenol derivatives, C-veratroylglycol, and β-hydroxypropiovanillone, were the main components of the extract (0.71%-2.93%,w/w). The biological assays suggested that the extract could be useful as a functional ingredient in food technology and pharmaceutical industry showing an in vitro scavenging activity against the radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) (EC50= 31.7 μg/mL with respect to α-tocopherol EC50= 10.1 μg/mL), and an inhibitory effect on the growth of human cancer cell lines A375, SK-Mel-28 and HeLa (IC50= 584, 459, and 526 μg/mL, respectively). The expression of cleaved forms of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) suggested that the extract induced apoptosis through caspase-3 activation in both human malignant melanoma (SK-Mel-28) and human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines. The cytotoxic activity relies on the presence of the neolignans (balanophonin), and phenol derivatives (gallic acid), showing a pro-apoptotic effect on the tested cell lines, and the neolignan, cedrusin, with a cytotoxic effect on A375 and HeLa cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. tesposito@unisa.it.|Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. tesposito@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. fsansone@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sansone
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. sfranceschelli@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. pdelgaudio@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Gaudio
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. ppicerno@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picerno
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. aquinorp@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Rita Patrizia
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. tmencherini@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mencherini
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D031211:Corylus / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: DPPH radical; PARP-1; caspase-3; diaryleptanoid; hazelnut by-product; neolignans