Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece
Functional foods are considered beneficial to human health due to their high nutritional values. Currently, there is development in research to identify natural functional food sources high in bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants and polyphenols, as they are shown to contribute towards decreasi...
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| author | Chrysoula Kaloteraki Kalliopi Almpounioti Panagiota Potsaki Panoraia Bousdouni Aikaterini Kandyliari Antonios E. Koutelidakis |
| author_facet | Chrysoula Kaloteraki Kalliopi Almpounioti Panagiota Potsaki Panoraia Bousdouni Aikaterini Kandyliari Antonios E. Koutelidakis |
| author_sort | Chrysoula Kaloteraki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Functional foods are considered beneficial to human health due to their high nutritional values. Currently, there is development in research to identify natural functional food sources high in bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants and polyphenols, as they are shown to contribute towards decreasing oxidative stress and maintaining well-being in human health. The objective of the present study was to determine the total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Mediterranean medicinal natural herbs and wild greens, aiming to create a database of medicinal plants for future potential use as functional food ingredients. A total of seventeen selected herbs and wild greens from Lemnos Island (Greece) were purchased between June and July of 2021. Extracts were prepared with an ultrasound water bath at 70 °C for 60 min. The antioxidant capacity was measured with ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and the total polyphenolic content was determined with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method. The mean phenolic values ranged from 0.18 to 2282.80 mg of gallic acid/g of sample, whereas <i>Hypericum perfoliatum</i> L. and <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> L., <i>Salvia</i> spp., and <i>Sideritis</i> sp. displayed the highest contents (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L., <i>Mentha Spicata</i>, and <i>Thymbra capitata</i> L. obtained the highest total antioxidant capacity values greater than 12.20 mmol/L, with an average range of 0.06 to 30.58 mmol of Fe<sup>2+</sup>/L of extract (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Pistacia lentiscus</i> var. <i>chia</i>, <i>Crataegus azarolus</i> L., and <i>Pancratium Maritimum</i> obtained the lowest contents from both methods. Studies have shown that medicinal plants with total antioxidant values higher than 0.87 mmol/L could be applicable in the fortification of food products (i.e., yogurt). Therefore, this study suggests that most of the above medicinal plants could be a potential source of antioxidants for functional food applications while their use can enhance Mediterranean diet principles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:51:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3eee06279a7b4b94b3998512f6f54fca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-9976 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:51:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
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| series | Biology and Life Sciences Forum |
| spelling | doaj.art-3eee06279a7b4b94b3998512f6f54fca2023-11-17T09:57:41ZengMDPI AGBiology and Life Sciences Forum2673-99762021-10-01614310.3390/Foods2021-11003Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, GreeceChrysoula Kaloteraki0Kalliopi Almpounioti1Panagiota Potsaki2Panoraia Bousdouni3Aikaterini Kandyliari4Antonios E. Koutelidakis5Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Myrina, GreeceFunctional foods are considered beneficial to human health due to their high nutritional values. Currently, there is development in research to identify natural functional food sources high in bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants and polyphenols, as they are shown to contribute towards decreasing oxidative stress and maintaining well-being in human health. The objective of the present study was to determine the total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of Mediterranean medicinal natural herbs and wild greens, aiming to create a database of medicinal plants for future potential use as functional food ingredients. A total of seventeen selected herbs and wild greens from Lemnos Island (Greece) were purchased between June and July of 2021. Extracts were prepared with an ultrasound water bath at 70 °C for 60 min. The antioxidant capacity was measured with ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and the total polyphenolic content was determined with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method. The mean phenolic values ranged from 0.18 to 2282.80 mg of gallic acid/g of sample, whereas <i>Hypericum perfoliatum</i> L. and <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> L., <i>Salvia</i> spp., and <i>Sideritis</i> sp. displayed the highest contents (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L., <i>Mentha Spicata</i>, and <i>Thymbra capitata</i> L. obtained the highest total antioxidant capacity values greater than 12.20 mmol/L, with an average range of 0.06 to 30.58 mmol of Fe<sup>2+</sup>/L of extract (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Pistacia lentiscus</i> var. <i>chia</i>, <i>Crataegus azarolus</i> L., and <i>Pancratium Maritimum</i> obtained the lowest contents from both methods. Studies have shown that medicinal plants with total antioxidant values higher than 0.87 mmol/L could be applicable in the fortification of food products (i.e., yogurt). Therefore, this study suggests that most of the above medicinal plants could be a potential source of antioxidants for functional food applications while their use can enhance Mediterranean diet principles.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/6/1/43natural health productssustainable functional foodsherbswild greensbioactive compoundsFRAP assay |
| spellingShingle | Chrysoula Kaloteraki Kalliopi Almpounioti Panagiota Potsaki Panoraia Bousdouni Aikaterini Kandyliari Antonios E. Koutelidakis Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece Biology and Life Sciences Forum natural health products sustainable functional foods herbs wild greens bioactive compounds FRAP assay |
| title | Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece |
| title_full | Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece |
| title_fullStr | Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece |
| title_short | Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Content of 17 Mediterranean Functional Herbs and Wild Green Extracts from North Aegean, Greece |
| title_sort | total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of 17 mediterranean functional herbs and wild green extracts from north aegean greece |
| topic | natural health products sustainable functional foods herbs wild greens bioactive compounds FRAP assay |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/6/1/43 |
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