Chemical Composition and In Vitro Bioactivities of Extracts from Cones of P. halepensis, P. brutia, and P. pinea: Insights into Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Potential

Abstract

Various parts of the Pinaceae species, a traditional plant, have potential health benefits and exhibit antibacterial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities. This study aims to investigate the biochemical properties of both petal (P) and core (C) fractions from pinecones of P. halepensis (PA), P. brutia (PB), and P. pinea (PP). Pinecones were manually separated into P and C, which were then milled to investigate maceration with solvents of increasing polarity: cyclohexane (1SV), ethyl acetate (2SV), and methanol (3SV) at 20 °C. Spectrophotometry was utilized to quantify the total phenolic content (TPC) and to assess bioactivities. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed to identify the chemical composition. 3SV extracts demonstrated the highest TPC and a significant anti–oxidant potential. PA-P-3SV exhibited the highest TPC (460.66 mg GAE/g DW) and PP-P-3SV displayed the best IC50 (10.54 µg/mL) against DPPH. 1SV and 2SV extracts showed interesting anticancer activity against Hela and HepG2 cells. No significant toxic effect of P and C extracts from pinecones was observed on HEK-293 cells. GC-MS analysis unveiled 46 volatile compounds, of which 32 were detected for the first time in these species. HPLC analysis identified 38 compounds, of which 27 were not previously detected in these species. This study highlights the significant potential of pinecones as a rich source of bioactive compounds.