Study of aromatic and medicinal plants as potential natural ingredients for food industry
2021
Authors:
Spréa, Rafael MascolotiCaleja, Cristina
Pereira, Eliana
Pinela, José
Kostić, Marina
Soković, Marina
Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R
Amaral, Joana
Barros, Lillian
Contributors
Barros, LillianCastañeda, Bruno Melgar
Shiraishi, Carlos Seiti Hurtado
Document Type:
Conference object (Published version)
,
© 2021 by the Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Considering the association of plants consumption and utilization with the treatment of some illnesses and
diseases, several aromatic and medicinal plants have been used in traditional and contemporary medicine.
This capacity has been proven scientifically and there are numerous studies describing their therapeutic
properties in the treatment of inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, among other conditions
[1] . The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities have already been studied in a wide variety of plants,
which have been shown to contain bioactive molecules effective against pathogenic microorganisms and
capable of removing reactive oxygen species formed in cells [2,3].
In this sense, ten aromatic and medicinal plants ( Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Olea europaea L., Melissa
officinalis L., Origanum vulgare L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Arbutus unedo L., Matricaria recutita L.,
Thymus vulgaris L., Ocimum vulgare L., and Salvia officinalis L.) were selected to perform an initial
screening for the exploration of natural ingredients with bioactive potential.
The plant extracts were obtained after ethanolic extraction. The antioxidant activity was evaluated through
two in vitro cell-based assays, namely the lipid peroxidation inhibition test (TBARS) and the oxidative
hemolysis inhibition test (OxHLIA), and antimicrobial activity was tested by the broth microdilution
method, against a panel of bacteria and fungi, selected according to their public health importance.
These analyses presented very promising results, showing a high bioactive potential for all plant extracts.
In the TBARS assay, E. globulus and O. vulgare stood out with lower EC 50 values, followed by T. vulgaris
and S. officinalis . In turn, in the OxHLIA assay, for Δ t 60 min and Δ t 120 min, the excellent antioxidant
capacity of S. officinalis and T. vulgaris was also evidenced, respectively. In addition, the evaluation of the
antimicrobial activity highlighted the sample of G. glabra , both at the bacterial and fungal levels. Overall,
it was possible to prove the great bioactive potential of the E. globulus , O. vulgare , S. officinalis , T.
vulgaris and G. glabra extracts, and to highlight them as promising options for exploitation in the food
industry.
Funding / projects:
- Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)
- FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal program
In:
- Barros L, Castañeda BM, Shiraishi CSH, editors. Book of Abstracts: 1st Natural products application: Health, Cosmetic and Food: book of abstracts; 2021 Feb 4-5; Online. Bragança: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança; 2021. p. 233.