Metabolite profiling, arginase inhibition and vasorelaxant activity of Cornus mas, Sorbus aucuparia and Viburnum opulus fruit extracts

The present study investigated the effects of Cornus mas, Sorbus aucuparia and Viburnum opulus fruit extracts on arginase activity and arterial vasodilation. V. opulus fruit extract exerted the highest vasorelaxant activity in phenylephrine precontracted rat aortic rings (EC50 = 6.31 +/- 1.61 mu g/mL) and a significant inhibition of arginase (IC50 = 71.02 +/- 3.06 mu g/mL). By contrast, S. aucuparia and C. mas fruit extracts showed no important antiarginase activity and a significantly weaker activity in the rat aortic rings relaxation assay (EC50 = 100.9 +/- 11.63 and 78.52 +/- 8.59 mu g/mL, respectively). For all extracts, the main mechanism of vasodilation was proven to be endothelium-dependent. HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS studies revealed a very complex metabolite profiling in all three extracts with chlorogenic acid accounting for 30.89, 0.72 and 2.03 mg/g in V. opulus, C. mas and S. aucuparia fruit extracts, respectively. All extracts were declared non-toxic in the brine shrimp acute toxicity test. Our study highlights potential benefits of V. opulus fruit extract in diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction and impaired vasodilation.