Identification and characterization of natural bioactive molecules and their liposomal formulation

Growing concerns about the environmental impact of agricultural and agro-industrial waste have promoted exploration towards creating novel natural products that feature additional health benefits. This includes the formulation of novel foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and biocides, all enriched with bioactive compounds derived from materials currently estimated as waste. The focus is on transforming what is traditionally considered waste into valuable resources for the development of products that promote well-being and sustainability. The main target of this thesis is to characterize selected plant matrices to extract specific metabolites that possess bioactive capabilities. The selected matrices are usually considered non relevant products or agricultural waste. Coffea arabica L. leaves represent a viable alternative to the canonical matrices used for preparation of beverages, such as tea leaves and grounded coffee beans. Coffee leaves infusions are rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds and have a lower concentration of caffeine. Due to increasing interest in this field, a complete study of the bioactive compounds as chlorogenic acids, xanthones and alkaloids is noteworthy. The study was conducted using a combination of spectroscopic techniques as 1H NMR and chromatographic/spectroscopic techniques as HPLC-MS. Laboratory-scale methods for obtaining bioactive complexes have been developed and optimized, incorporating non-conventional extraction techniques like ultrasound-assisted extraction. These approaches overcome the classical weaknesses of traditional extraction methods. The extraction of 1-DNJ from Morus leaves was optimized using Experimental Desing together with a HILIC chromatography HPLC-MS method. The by-products of the agricultural industry can pose both economic and environmental challenges since they are often destined for disposal, contributing to increased emissions in the production process. The reuse of these by-products is a fundamental aspect of circular economy approaches. Tomato and potato leaves have been studied for their reuse to extract important molecules such as steroidal alkaloids. To quantify these molecules in these matrices, an HPLC-MS method was developed. To deliver the previously studied bioactive compounds and enhance their bioavailability, two formulations of liposomes loaded with extracts of Coffea arabica and chlorogenic acid have been synthesized. These systems were characterized through physico-chemical techniques, and the encapsulation efficiency value was also assessed through HPLC-MS and UV-visible analysis.