Comparative biological analyses on kenger and kenger coffee as novel functional food products.

Abstract: The current research was conducted to investigate neuroprotective, anticancer, antiproliferative and apoptotic DNA fragmentation potentials of the extracts obtained from aerial-parts, raw-fruits, and coffee samples (prepared by roasting and boiled-roasting) of kenger (Gundelia tournefortii var. armata). Neuroprotection capacities of the samples were screened against enzymes that are linked to the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Since the oxidative damage is closely related to the development of neurodegeneration and cancer, the extracts were also analyzed for their antioxidant activities. Anticancer and antiproliferative activities of the samples were evaluated towards A549, MCF-7, and HeLa cells, and they exhibited remarkable anticancer activities in dose-and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, the apoptotic activity regarding DNA fragmentation was also imaged. The extracts obtained from the aerial-parts and raw-fruits of kenger possessed the highest anticancer and antiproliferative activities on HeLa cells with the IC50 values varied from 290.71 ± 0.69 to 342.46 ± 0.42, whilst kenger coffee samples had the weakest activity on the cell death towards MCF-7. However, the tested extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activities, in which the best reducing antioxidant capacity was defined in the raw-fruits and aerial-parts of the extracts. The roasted-coffee samples had the best inhibition on tyrosinase (88.26 ± 0.15%, p < 0.05), while the raw fruit-EtOH extract showed the highest inhibition on AChE and BChE enzymes (39.10 ± 2.01%, p < 0.01 and 72.69 ± 0.16%, p < 0.016, respectively). Consequently, research outputs provide noteworthy data on the usage of kenger for the nutraceutical and the healthy food industries. Graphic abstract: Enhanced light harvesting, higher donor density, appropriate band bending, lowest charge transfer radius of C-Ag-ZnO hybrid signifies that efficient charge transfer and restriction to charge recombination leading to the enhanced PEC performance. © Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2021.