1. Investigación

Corema album (L.) D. Don (Ericaceae) is an endemic bush that grows along the Atlantic littoral of the Iberian Peninsula. Its edible white berries (known as camarinas, camariñas, camarinhas, white crowberry, among other vernacular names) have been used in popular medicine as an antipyretic and are consumed in localised areas of Portugal and Spain as appetisers and in the preparation of juices and jams. The aim of the present review is to summarise the knowledge of the chemical composition and pharmacological studies performed with C. album fruit and extracts. These berries are rich in phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavonols, flavanones, prenylated flavanone, flavanols, and anthocyanins. The total phenolic content of various extracts of the pulp of these berries has been positively correlated with their antioxidant capacity. In this respect, the treatment with acetone, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts of this fruit has protected HepG2 cells against chemically induced oxidative stress. The chemoprotective effect of these extracts is mediated by preventing reactive oxygen species formation, reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion, antioxidant enzyme over-activity, and oxidative damage to proteins and lipids. Furthermore, the presence of pentacyclic triterpenes, such as ursolic and oleanolic acids, in C. album berries confers reflectance UV properties to this fruit and derived extracts. In short, existing studies suggest that the development of C. album crops should be considered as a promising opportunity to obtain these remarkable berries. Moreover, further experiments should also be designed to evaluate their in vivo effect and to ascertain the underlying mechanism of action.

The phenomenon of today’s ageing population has increased interest in the search for new active substances that delay the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases. In this respect, the search for natural compounds, mainly phenolic compounds, with neuroprotective activity has become the focus of growing interest. Verbascoside is a phenylethanoid that has already presented several pharmacological activities. The purpose of this study is to isolate and identify verbascoside from Acanthus mollis leaves. Consequently, its neuroprotective ability through enzymatic inhibition and free radical scavenging ability has been analyzed both in vitro and in cell culture assays. The antioxidant capacity of verbascoside was evaluated in vitro through total antioxidant capacity, DPPH , OH, and O2 —scavenging activity assays. The e ect of verbascoside on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of HepG2 and SH-SY5Y cell lines was studied in normal culture and under induced oxidative stress. The inhibitory ability of the phenylethanoid against several enzymes implied in neurodegenerative diseases (tyrosinase, MAO-A, and AChE) was analyzed in vitro. Verbascoside neuroprotective activity is at least in part related to its free radical scavenging ability. The e ect of verbascoside on ROS production suggests its potential in the prevention of harmful cell redox changes and in boosting neuroprotection.