Chemical composition and effect on intestinal Caco-2 cell viability and lipid profile of fixed oil from Cynomorium coccineum L.

Cynomorium coccineum L is a non-photosynthetic plant, spread over Mediterranean countries, amply used in traditional medicine. We investigated the composition and effect on intestinal Caco-2 cell viability and lipid profile of fixed oil obtained from dried stems of the plant. Oil isolation has been performed by supercritical fractioned extraction with CO2. C-13 NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the molecular composition of oil lipids: fatty acid composition was identified using GC and HPLC techniques. The fixed oil was composed mainly by triacylglycerols and derivates. The main fatty acids were 18:1 n-9 (38%), 18:2 n-6 (20%), 16:0 (15%), and 18:3 n-3 (10.8%). The oil showed a significant in vitro inhibitory effect on the growth of colon cancer undifferentiated Caco-2 cells. Moreover, cell viability, lipid composition, and lipid peroxidation were measured in intestinal epithelial cells (differentiated Caco-2 cells) after 24 h incubation with fixed oil. The oil did not show a toxic effect on colon epithelial cell viability but induced a significant change in fatty acid composition, with a significant accumulation of the essential fatty acids 18:3 n-3 and 18:2 n-6. The results showed remarkable biological activity of Maltese mushroom oil, and qualify it as a potential resource for food/pharmaceutical applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.