Planta Med 2023; 89(14): 1338-1339
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1773999
Abstracts
Monday 3rd July 2023 | Poster Session I
Phytopharmacology I – General; respiratory; cardiac

New pharmacological evidence for Chios mastic gum

Eleni V. Mikropoulou
1   Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
,
Zoi Evangelakou
2   Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou,15784, Athens, Greece
,
Despoina Gianniou
2   Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou,15784, Athens, Greece
,
Charalampia Amerikanou
3   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, 17671, Athens, Greece
,
Andriana Kaliora
3   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, 17671, Athens, Greece
,
George Dedoussis
3   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University of Athens, 17671, Athens, Greece
,
Ioannis Trougakos
2   Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou,15784, Athens, Greece
,
Maria Halabalaki
1   Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
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Chios mastic gum (CMG) is a highly valuable phytotherapeutic product of Greece, with broad applications in the food and supplements industries. Due to its complex chemical composition, studies involving the pharmacological investigation of its constituents remain scarce and fragmented. The last few years, thanks to mastic’s recognition by the EMA, there has been a renewed interest by the scientific community about the possible beneficial effect of CMG on various pathologies, especially towards inflammatory conditions and those associated with metabolic syndrome [1]. In this framework, the current work summarises the results of several national and international cooperations, aiming to investigate the effect of CMG on different biological platforms. From human endothelial cell lines and the versatile model organism Drosophila melanogaster, to the complex pathophysiology of NAFLD/NASH in human patients, CMG’s unexplored potential is only beginning to unravel. Additionally, with the use of state-of-the-art instrumentation such as LC-HRMS/MS and metabolomic approaches, the disclosure of the metabolic fate of CMG’s bioactives through the tentative identification of several triterpenic acid biotransformation products in plasma and faecal samples of human patients was deemed possible. All compounds were products of Phase I and Phase II metabolic reactions, while the most common modifications were the hydroxylation and/or sulfation of the basic triterpenic skeleton. Overall, this information opens new opportunities in the therapeutic valorisation of this ancient product ([Fig. 1]).

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Fig. 1 Chios mastic gum – an ancient product with therapeutic valorisation opportunities

Funding ERDF, “RESEARCH–CREATE–INNOVATE”, Hyper-Mastic (project code Τ2ΕΔΚ-00547).


 

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.


Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023

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Fig. 1 Chios mastic gum – an ancient product with therapeutic valorisation opportunities