Valorization of fruit pits from Prunus laurocerasus and Prunus cerasifera as agro-food byproducts: Bioactive properties and safety assessment for potential food additive applications

BACKGROUND: Food additives are widely used to extend the shelf life of foods and maintain their quality. In this study, the potential of Prunus laurocerasus and Prunus cerasifera fruit pits (endocarp and seed) as food additives was investigated in terms of cytotoxicity, antigenotoxicity, antioxidant activity, enzymatic anti-browning, and urease enzyme inhibition, and their phytochemical contents were comprehensively analyzed. RESULTS: While the extracts showed low cytotoxicity against the healthy L929 cell line, they exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in selective cytotoxicity against A549, CaCo-2, Hep3B, MCF-7, and PC-3 cells. Furthermore, the genotoxic safety of the extracts was assessed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic model test systems. The extracts showed no cytogenotoxic or mutagenic effects in the Allium cepa and Ames/Salmonella assays. P. cerasifera endocarp ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH, CUPRAC, and TEAC: 576.24, 402.42, and 680.14 mg Trolox g−1 extract, respectively) and strong enzyme inhibition, with tyrosinase (IC50: 10.46 ± 1.48 μg mL−1) nearly comparable to kojic acid and potent urease inhibition (IC50: 28.60 ± 2.08 μg mL−1). Phytochemical analysis of the extracts was performed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, with epicatechin (10.722 mg g−1 extract) detected in the highest amount in the endocarp of P. laurocerasus and quinic acid (11.679 mg g−1 extract) detected in the endocarp of P. cerasifera. CONCLUSION: Overall, according to the conducted cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays, P. laurocerasus and P. cerasifera fruit pits were found to be safe, rich in bioactive phytochemicals, and exhibited strong antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities, highlighting their potential as sustainable functional ingredients or natural food additives. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.