PREPARATION OF A DRY BIOMASS EXTRACT RICH IN POLYPHENOLS

Abstract

The present invention concerns a process for preparing a polyphenol-rich extract of dry plant biomass, in particular parts of vines, the extract obtained and its use for antifungal applications, in particular for the prevention and treatment of fungal infections on fruits and plants after harvest, but also for applications related to its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Claims

1. Process for preparing a polyphenol-rich extract of dry plant biomass comprising (a) a step of extracting the dry biomass by bringing it into contact with an aqueous solvent and (b) a step of recovering the polyphenol-enriched aqueous phase, wherein in the extraction step (a), the plant biomass/aqueous solvent mixture is treated simultaneously or sequentially by (i) electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from 915 MHz to 28 GHz, and (ii) stirring of the mixture, and/or (iii) pressure of 5,000 to 95,000 Pa (50 to 950 mbar).

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous solvent is water or an ethanol/water mixture comprising from 10 to 70 vol. % ethanol.

3. Process according to claim 2, wherein the aqueous solvent is an ethanol/water mixture comprising from 30 to 50% ethanol.

4. Process according to claim 1 wherein the mass ratio of dry plant biomass to aqueous solvent is from 1/5 to 1/30.

5. Process according to claim 4, wherein the mass ratio of dry plant biomass to aqueous solvent is from 1/10 to 1/20.

6. Process according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic waves ranges from 915 MHz to 2.45 GHz.

7. Process according to claim 1 wherein the power of the electromagnetic waves ranges from 300 W to 100 kW.

8. Process according to claim 7, wherein the power of the electromagnetic waves ranges from 1 to 75 kW.

9. Process according to claim 1, wherein the extraction step (a) further comprises an ultrasonic treatment (iv) whose frequency ranges from 25 kHz to 1 MHz.

10. Process according to claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic power ranges from 200 to 4000 W.

11. Process according to claim 1, wherein the plant biomass consists of shoots of vines of Vitis sp.

12. Process according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a step (c) of concentrating the polyphenols by partial or total evaporation of the aqueous solvent.

13. Process according to claim 12, wherein the concentration (c) is achieved by freeze-drying the recovered aqueous phase.

14. Polyphenol-rich extract obtainable by the process according to claim 1.

15. Composition wherein it comprises an extract according to claim 14 and a carrier suitable for use thereof.

16. A method for fungicidal treatment of plants to prevent or control the development of pathogenic fungi on the plants, the method comprising applying to the plants an effective amount of the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14.

17. A method for preventing and/or treating the degradation of fruits and plants after harvest, the method comprising applying to the fruits and plants an effective amount of the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14.

18. A method for preventing and/or treating oxidative stress in plants comprising applying to the plants the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14.

19. A cosmetic or a food composition comprising the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14 as an antioxidant agent.

20. A method for the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial infections in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising applying the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14 to the patient in need thereof.

21. A method for the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial skin infections in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising applying the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14 to the patient in need thereof.

22. A method for the treatment and prophylaxis of acne in a patient in need thereof the method comprising applying the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14 to the patient in need thereof.

23. A method for treatment of oxidative stress in a human or animal in need thereof comprising administering the polyphenol-rich extract according to claim 14 to the human or animal in need thereof.

24. The process according to claim 1, wherein the dried biomass is made up of plant fragments having a particle size of less than 1 cm.

25. The process according to claim 1, wherein the dried biomass is made up of plant fragments having a particle size ranging from 1 to 5 mm

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0061] FIG. 1 shows a comparison of the relative amounts of trans-piceatannol, trans-resveratrol, trans--viniferin and trans-vitisin contained in an extract obtained by the process according to the invention and in an extract obtained by a conventional process. The displayed values represent the relative concentrations (in arbitrary units) of each of the 4 molecules, calculated from the areas under the curve of the HPLC peaks.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows the comparison of the antifungal activity of an extract obtained by the process according to the invention (circles) and an extract obtained by a conventional process (squares). The values displayed are the average, over 3 identical conditions, of the efficacy (0%=normal fungal growth; 100%=no fungal growth) at 4 days post-inoculation, as a function of the extract concentration.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Preparation of a Vitis Vinifera Shoot Eco-Extract

[0063] The starting plant material is Vitis vinifera shoot (August shoots). The shoots are dried (in the open air or in an oven). Once dry, the shoots are first shredded into 2- to 10-cm fragments and then finely ground to a particle size comprised between 1 and 5 mm. The Vitis vinifera shoot powder thus obtained is extracted in a 30% aqueous or ethanolic solution. The extraction time is comprised between 30 min and 1 h 30 min, preferentially 45 min to 60 min. The techniques used to extract are microwaves, ultrasound, vacuum and simultaneous stirring. The extract thus obtained is vacuum filtered through a 20-micron filter. The extract is then evaporated under vacuum and spray-dried or freeze-dried. The dry extract thus obtained is then stored at room temperature away from light.

Example 2

Chemical Characterization of the Vitis Vinifera Shoot Extract Prepared According to Example 1:

[0064] Five milligrams of the freeze-dried dry Vitis vinifera shoot eco-extract obtained according to Example 1 was dissolved in 1 ml of 50% ethanol. The solution is solubilized and then centrifuged for 10 min at 12000 RCF before being injected into a high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS) system under the following conditions. The volume of extract injected is 25 l. The migration solvents are ultrapure water (0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (0.1% formic acid). The separation is done in 55 min at 1 ml/min according to the following solvent gradient:

TABLE-US-00001 Time (min) Acetonitrile (%) Water (%) 0 5 95 0.1 5 95.00 45 50 50.00 46 100 0.00 51 100 0.00 52 5 95.00 55 5 95.00

[0065] The column used contains a stationary phase grafted with C18 functions. UV detection is performed between 200 and 800 nm. Mass detection is performed by negative-mode ESI. Four major compounds are obtained whose retention times, absorbencies and molecular masses are shown in the table below.

TABLE-US-00002 Retention time Maximum Molecular mass Compound (min) absorbance (nm) (g/mol) trans-Piceatannol 19 306-323 244 trans-Resveratrol 23 306-323 228 trans--Viniferin 30 306-323 454 trans-Vitisin 36 306-327 906

[0066] The comparison of the content of these 4 compounds with a conventional ethanol extract is shown in FIG. 1.

Example 3

Antifungal Action Against Botrytis Cinerea

[0067] Botrytis cinerea spores are deposited at the bottom of the wells of transparent 96-well plates, in which agar nutrient medium has previously been poured.

[0068] The freeze-dried dry Vitis vinifera shoot eco-extract obtained according to Example 1, dissolved at different concentrations (0 g/l, 2.5 g/l, 5 g/l, 10 g/l, 20 g/l and 30 g/l) in 8% ethanol, is then deposited in the wells.

[0069] After various incubation times at 21 C. and away from light, the relative density of the mycelium in each well is measured via absorbance at 800 nm. The antifungal efficacy is then calculated from these absorbance values.

[0070] The antifungal efficacy, observed at 4 days of incubation, of an extract obtained with the process according to the invention and an extract obtained with a conventional process is shown in FIG. 2. The results are similar to those presented in FIG. 2 up to at least 15 days of incubation.

Example 4

Antifungal Action

[0071] The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for 100% efficiency up to 240 hours were measured with the extract according to Example 2 on different fungal strains. The results are detailed in the Table below.

TABLE-US-00003 Fungus MIC g/L Byssochlamys nivea 28 Nectria galligena 13 Monillinia laxa 8 Alternaria daucil 7 Helminthosporium solani 2 Gibberella zeae 9 Fusarium culmorum 9 Mycosphaerella graminicola 1

Example 5

Antibacterial Action

[0072] The MICs of the extract of Example 2 were determined for different bacterial species. The tests are performed on 27 bacterial strains listed in the table below. The study is conducted in rich nutrient media, with a concentration of tested colonies calibrated at 5.Math.10.sup.5-10.sup.6 CFU/mL.

TABLE-US-00004 Bacteria MIC mg/ML Bacillales Bacillus cereus 0.234 Bacillus subtilis 0.938 Staphylococcus aureus 0.469 S. aureus MR (MRSA) 0.469 Staphylococcus epidermidis 0.234 Listeria monocytogenes 0.469 Lactobacillus Enterococcus hirae 0.469 Lactobacillus acidophilus 7.5 Lactobacillus casei 7.5 Lactobacillus plantarum >7.5 Streptococcus mutans 3.75 Streptococcus pyogenes 0.234 Streptococcus suis 0.469 Selenomonadales Veillonella dispar 0.938 Clostridiales Clostridium difficile 0.938 Enterobacteriales Salmonella enterica typhimurium 1.875 Escherichia coli 7.5 Yersinia enterocolitica 3.75 Vibrionales Vibrio cholerae 0.938 Vibrio anguillarum >7.5 Campylobacterales Campylobacter jejuni 1.875 Bacteroidales Bacteroides fragilis 3.75 Bifidobacteriales Bifidobacterium breve 1.875 Bifidobacterium lactis 1.875 Bifidobacterium longum longum 0.938 Actinomycetales Actinomyces naeslundii 3.75 Propionibacterium acnes 0.117

[0073] The extract of Example 2 shows inhibitory activity on all strains tested except Lactobacillus plantarum and Vibrio anguillarum. The most sensitive strain tested is P. acnes, a pathogen responsible for acne. Finally, bacteria of the order Bacillales, Enterococcus sp. and certain Streptococcus sp., are the most sensitive to the extract according to Example 2. On the other hand, the other strains tested are less sensitive, in particular the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium sp. and Lactobacillus sp., as well as Gram-negative bacteria.

[0074] The extract of Example 2 is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial with greater efficacy on skin pathogens.

Example 6

Antioxidant Activity

[0075] The antioxidant activity of the extract of Example 2 is studied by comparing the condition of the skin of bananas kept in the open air with or without application of the extract of Example 2 at 7 days and 9 days after application.

[0076] Without the application of extract of Example 2, banana peels covered with brown spots characteristic of their oxidation are observed at 7 days, while the peels of treated bananas are slightly affected (1 characteristic spot).

[0077] At 9 days, oxidation of the skin of untreated bananas continues with entire blackened areas from the covering of spots observed at 7 days, while the skin of treated bananas changes little from the observation at 7 days.

[0078] This antioxidant activity observed on bananas shows the interest of the extract according to the invention to treat oxidative stress in plants, especially for exotic or tropical fruits.

REFERENCES

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