Phytochemical profiling and multivariate analysis of ancient Platanus orientalis L. extracts

Çetinkaya F., Tongur T., Erkaymaz T., Korkut A., Odabaş Köse E., Aksu S.

BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY, cilt.130, ss.1-15, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 130
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.bse.2026.105358
  • Dergi Adı: BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Environment Index, Geobase, Zoological Record
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-15
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Platanus orientalis L. is a traditionally used medicinal tree rich in phenolics and fatty acids, yet systematic studies

on its extracts from centuries-old trees remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the phenolic and fatty

acid composition and evaluate the functional biological properties supporting phytochemical differentiation of

extracts obtained from the leaves, bark, and fruits of ~400-year-old P. orientalis trees. Maceration (ethanol) and

Soxhlet extraction (water, ethanol and hexane) methods were applied. Phenolic compounds were quantified by

UHPLC-MS/MS and fatty acids by GC-MS. The antioxidant properties were determined by DPPH and hydroxyl

radical scavenging assays, as well as total flavonoid content (TFC). Antibacterial activity was tested against

Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains (S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae) using disk diffusion.

Catechin and epicatechin were the dominant phenolics, with ethanol fruit extracts containing up to 126.1 μg g􀀀 1

epicatechin. Stearic acid was the most abundant fatty acid (478.71 μg g􀀀 1 in hexane leaf extract). Leaf and bark

extracts exhibited stronger antioxidant activity (IC50 for DPPH: 109.25 μg mL􀀀 1 for ethanol leaf maceration)

compared to fruit extracts. Antibacterial activity was more pronounced against Gram-positive bacteria, especially

S. aureus.

Extracts of P. orientalis, particularly from leaves and bark, exhibited distinct phytochemical profiles associated

with plant part and extraction method. Multivariate analysis (PCA and HCA) revealed structured metabolite

clustering, indicating coordinated chemical differentiation. These findings suggest the potential relevance of

specific metabolite groups for future comparative chemotaxonomic investigations. Rather than emphasizing

pharmacological applications, the present study focuses on metabolite distribution patterns and their relevance

to biochemical systematics.