Fatty acid composition, enzyme inhibitory, and antioxidant activities of the ethanol extracts of selected wild edible plants consumed as vegetables in the Aegean region of Turkey

Inoculation with Jeotgalicoccus sp. improves nutritional quality and biological value of Eruca sativa by enhancing amino acid and phenolic metabolism and increasing mineral uptake, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are considered a promising tool for triggering the synthesis of bioactive compounds in plants and to produce healthy foods. This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of PGPB on the growth, accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites, biological activities, and nutritional qualities of Eruca sativa (arugula), a key leafy vegetable worldwide. To this end, Jeotgalicoccus sp. (JW0823), was isolated and identified by using partial 16S rDNA-based identification and phylogenetic analysis. The findings revealed that JW0823 significantly boosted plant biomass production by about 45% (P<0.05) and enhanced pigment contents by 47.5% to 83.8%. JW0823-treated plants showed remarkable improvements in their proximate composition and vitamin contents, with vitamin E levels increasing by 161.5%. JW0823 induced the accumulation of bioactive metabolites including antioxidants, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential amino acids, thereby improving the nutritional qualities of treated plants. An increase in the amounts of amino acids was recorded, with isoleucine showing the highest increase of 270.2%. This was accompanied by increased activity of the key enzymes involved in amino acid biosynthesis, including glutamine synthase, dihydrodipicolinate synthase, cystathionine γ-synthase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase enzymes. Consequently, the total antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the inoculated plants were enhanced. Additionally, JW0823 improved antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic microorganisms. Overall, the JW0823 treatment is a highly promising method for enhancing the health-promoting properties and biological characteristics of E. sativa, making it a valuable tool for improving the quality of this important leafy vegetable.

Does Erodium trifolium (Cav.) Guitt exhibit medicinal properties? Response elements from phytochemical profiling, enzyme-inhibiting, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Geraniaceae are typically used as diuretic, anti-diarrhoeal, stomachic, and anti-hemorrhagic drugs. This study examined the phytochemicals and bioactivities in methanolic extract (ME) and petroleum ether extract (PEE) of the Erodium trifolium aerial part. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to assess the mineral profiles, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) were used to assess the phenolic content of ME, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to assess the fatty acid and volatile composition of the PEEs. In addition, the bioactivities of extracts were evaluated by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, ABTS, and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity assays, including enzyme inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase activities, and antibacterial properties. HPLC-MS identified eight compounds in ME: rutin, catechin, and caffeine were the major phenolic compounds detected. HPLC-DAD analysis showed that 11 compounds detected among epicatechin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid were predominant. GC-MS analysis revealed 30 fatty acids in PEE, with palmitic acid and oleic acid being predominant. The mineral content showed that Fe was the abundant microelement, and Ca and K were the abundant macroelements. The ME exhibited the highest activity compared to the PEE in all tests regarding antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Furthermore, all the extracts showed moderate inhibition against AChE, BChE, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. In conclusion, E. trifolium may be employed to separate novel bioactive metabolites with potential pharmaceutical activities.

Antibacterial Fractions from Erodium cicutarium Exposed—Clinical Strains of Staphylococcus aureus in Focus

Followed by a buildup of its phytochemical profile, Erodium cicutarium is being subjected to antimicrobial investigation guided with its ethnobotanical use. The results of performed in vitro screening on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans strains, show that E. cicutarium has antimicrobial activity, with a particular emphasis on clinical S. aureus strains—both the methicillin sensitive (MSSA) and the methicillin resistant (MRSA) S. aureus. Experimental design consisted of general methods (the serial microdilution broth assay and the agar well diffusion assay), as well as observing bactericidal/bacteriostatic activity through time (the “time-kill” assay), investigating the effect on cell wall integrity and biofilm formation, and modulation of bacterial hemolysis. Observed antibacterial activity from above-described methods led to further activity-guided fractionation of water and methanol extracts using bioautography coupled with UHPLC-LTQ OrbiTrap MS4. It was determined that active fractions are predominantly formed by gallic acid derivatives and flavonol glycosides. Among the most active phytochemicals, galloyl-shikimic acid was identified as the most abundant compound. These results point to a direct connection between galloyl-shikimic acid and the observed E. cicutarium antibacterial activity, and open several new research approaches for future investigation.

Bioaccumulation of metals, total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of Rumex acetosella L. from tailings in Žitkovac (Kosovo & Metohija)

The aim of this study was to determine the bioaccumulation of the metals in Rumex acetosella L. collected from the tailings of abandoned mine in Žitkovac (near Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo and Metohija), and to establish the possibility of using those plants for medicinal purposes. Concentrations of heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ca and Mg) in soil, roots and aboveground parts of R. acetosella were determined by wet mineralization with nitric and perchloric acid. The results of the research indicate that R. acetosella accumulates large amounts of Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Mn. The total phenol content, the total amount of flavonoids and the antioxidant activity of three different extracts of the root and aboveground parts of R. acetosella were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The acetone extracts contain the highest concentration of phenols and flavonoids. Ethyl acetate has proven to be a solvent that releases the least amount of phenols and flavonoids. The methanol extract of aboveground parts has the highest, while acetone root extract has the lowest antioxidant activity. Rumex acetosella can be used for medicinal purposes, but only collected from uncontaminated soil.

Phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity and functional properties of Raphanus sativus L, Eruca sativa L. and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. growing in Ethiopia

Information on phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity and functional properties of underutilized plants Figl (Raphanus sativus L.), Girgir (Eruca sativa L.) and Karkade (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) grown in Benishangul Gumuz, Ethiopia are limited. In view of this, leaves and roots of Figl, leaves of Girgir, calyces and seeds of Karkade were evaluated following standard analytical methods. The total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, β-carotene and L-ascorbic acid contents were ranged: 5.28–35.97, 0.01–2.53, 0.15–0.42 and 0.28–1.49 (db mg/g), respectively. The total flavonoids content, total anthocyanins content and antioxidant capacity were high in the brown calyces of Karkade, but are low in the roots of Figl. The antioxidant activity of roots of Figl and seeds of Karkade were low. The effective inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity demanded from brown calyces of Karkade was low and the IC₅₀ was strong negatively correlated with β-carotene and L-ascorbic acid contents (i.e., achieve IC₅₀ with low amounts of these bioactive compounds). The ferric reducing antioxidant power was positively strong correlated with total flavonoids and anthocyanins content. The finding showed that calyces of Karkade can be used as a candidate to substitute synthetic antioxidants and food colorant in food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries because of their high antioxidant capacity, desired color and as a good source of phytochemicals. The study also showed that the leaves of Figl and Girgir were found to exhibit good sources of vitamin C, β-carotene with low bulk density. Because of these properties, they can be regarded as good candidate to supplement micronutrients particularly for vulnerable groups like infants and young children.

Antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory activity of peppermint extracts and essential oils obtained by conventional and emerging extraction techniques

Peppermint is widely used medicinal plant with distinguished bioactive potential, therefore, the aim of present work was to develop novel peppermint extracts with high activity by application of traditional and emerging separation techniques. Conventional hydrodistillation and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MWHD) were applied for recovery of essential oil (EO), while organic solvent extraction using Soxhlet apparatus, microwave-assisted and ultrasound-assisted process and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) were applied for non-selective recovery of peppermint lipophilic extracts. Extracts were characterized in terms of terpenoids profile with special emphasis on content of major compounds (mentol, menthone, isomenthol and eucalyptol). Antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, chelating and phosphomolybdenum assay) and enzyme-inhibitory assays (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase and glucosidase inhibition) were used for screening of peppermint bioactivity. MWHD was recognized as alternative for traditional process in EO recovery, while SFE extracts were useful for green production of solvent-free peppermint extracts rich in terpenoids and other lipophilic bioactives.

First Extensive Polyphenolic Profile of Erodium cicutarium with Novel Insights to Elemental Composition and Antioxidant Activity

Erodium cicutarium is known for its total polyphenolic content, but this work reveals the first highly detailed profile of E. cicutarium, obtained with UHPLC-LTQ OrbiTrap MS⁴ and UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS techniques. A total of 85 phenolic compounds were identified and 17 constituents were quantified. Overall, 25 new compounds were found, which have not yet been reported for the Erodium genera, or the family Geraniaceae. Along with methanolic extracts, the so far poorly investigated water extracts exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity according to all performed assays, including the ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay (ABTS) and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity assay (CUPRAC). Elemental composition analysis performed with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and, additionally, hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HydrEA-ETAAS) showed six most abundant elements to be decreasing as follows: Mg>Ca>K>S>P>Na, and gave first data regarding inorganic arsenic content (109.3-248.4 ng g^-1 ). These results suggest E. cicutarium to be a valuable source of various phenolic compounds with substantial potential for further bioactivity testing.

Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Pharmacological Properties of the Genus Opopanax W. D. J. Koch: A Mini-Review

The genus Opopanax W.D.J. Koch is a member of the Apiaceae family, distributed throughout the Mediterranean region and comprises only three recognized and well-defined species, O. chironium (L.) W.D.J. Koch, O. hispidus (Friv.) Griseb. and O. persicus Boiss. The species of this genus with yellow flowers are well-known in traditional medicine and consumed as food. This review critically appraises published literature on the phytochemistry, traditional usages, and pharmacological activities of the genus Opopanax. In addition, it provides evidence to suggest that the plants from this genus have potential phytotherapeutic applications. Previous phytochemical and bioactivity studies revealed that the genus Opopanax predominantly produces coumarins, diterpenes, phenolics, and phthalides, and possesses various biological and pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The phytochemical profile and pharmacological activities of the genus Opopanax could be useful for further study and might find additional medicinal applications in evidence-based phytotherapy

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activity of Erodium species: A review

Erodium spp. is a genus that can be found in all continents that has been traditionally used in folk medicine to treat many diseases such as hemorrhage, dermatological disorders, indigestion, and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, Erodium leaves have been used for the preparation of salads, omelets, sandwiches, sauces and soups, among other food products. The objective of this review was to show the recent and relevant studies about extraction of bioactive compounds, the phytochemical characterization, the potential biological activities and toxicological evidence reported in both in vitro and in vivo studies from Erodium spp. In addition, the use of Erodium spp. as natural compounds against the development of diseases were also showed. This review highlights the traditional use of Erodium species in several countries as a therapeutic agent to treat several diseases (such as constipation, dermatological disorders, diabetes, indigestion, urinary inflammations, and as carminative agent), the factors influencing the extraction of bioactive compounds (mainly species and solvent composition on phenolic compounds) and phytochemical profile (presence of essential oils and alkaloids), the scientific evidence about its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (against both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms), antiviral and other health-related activities (anti-protozoal and anti-viral activity) as well as the toxicological evidence. Erodium spp. is a relevant source of compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and biological activity, which support its potential exploration in pharmacological and food area. Major efforts are necessary to advance the knowledge about Erodium genus regarding the relation between traditional use and scientific evidence, optimization of extraction conditions, the influence on biological mechanisms at animal and clinical levels, and bioaccessibility and bioavailability of bioactive compounds.

Phytochemical and Micromorphological Characterization of Croatian Populations of Erodium cicutarium

The aim of this study included the phytochemical screening of extracts and essential oil of Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Hér. ex Aiton (Geraniaceae), a native traditional medicinal plant from Croatia, as well as a highly detailed micromorphological characterization of its aerial parts. The contents of total polyphenols and tannins (TP and T), total flavonoids (TF), and total hydroxycinnamic derivatives (THD) in plant extracts were quantified in plant material from 4 localities (Plitvice, Podvinje, Buzin, and Trešnjevka). The contents of TP, T, TF, and THD significantly varied depending on the collection site, and were in the range of 4.78%-12.85% (TP), 3.23%-5.80% (T), 0.42%-1.09% (TF), and 1.08%-2.59% (THD) of dry weight of plant material, with the Plitvice collection having the highest polyphenol content. GC-MS analysis of the essential oils showed a similarity in composition of the major compounds from all investigated populations. Fifty compounds were identified in all 4 investigated oils (90.4%-96.7% of total oil) and classified into 7 structural classes, with hydrocarbons (59.8%-65.7%) as the main class of constituents. Two types of trichomes, nonglandular and glandular, were observed on the calyces, leaves, and stems, including 3 capitate trichome types. The bioactive substances and micromorphological characterization of Croatian populations of E. cicutarium were investigated for the first time. In general, the scanning electron microscopy imaging of Erodium cicitarium trichomes has not been reported before.