Comparative evaluation of chemical composition, cytotoxicity, and antioxidant activity of lipophilic extracts obtained from different parts of Prunus spinosa

Lipophilic extracts were obtained from whole fruits (SxFr), pulp (SxP), seeds (SxS), and flowers (SxFl) of Prunus spinosa (blackthorn) by Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane. Essential oil (EOFl) was extracted from flowers by hydrodistillation. GC/MS analysis allowed the identification of aldehydes, ketones, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and fatty acid (FA) methyl esters (methyl linoleate 23.3% and methyl hexadecanoate 19.2%) in EOFl, while evidenced higher proportions of n-tricosane (12.3%), n-pentacosane (15.8%), and heptacosane (14.9%) in SxFl. Oleic and linoleic acids were identified as the main FA in SxFr and SxS extracts by HPLC-DAD/ELSD, after mild saponification. Linolenic and linoleic acids represented the major FA in SxFl, while SxP was mainly characterised by oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. SxFl and SxP (at 100 µg/mL) were the most active in scavenging ABTS•+ and DPPH• radicals, respectively. SxFr exhibited cytotoxicity in cancer HeLa cells (MTT assay). Lipophilic P. spinosa extracts showed potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.