A study of the bioactive potential of seven neglected and underutilized leaves consumed in Brazil

Thais Cristina Lima De Souza; Tayse Ferreira Ferreira Da Silveira; Maria Isabel Rodrigues; Ana Lucia Tasca Gois Ruiz; Daniela Andrade Neves; Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte; Elenice Carla Emidio Cunha-Santos; Gunter Kuhnle; Alessandra Braga Ribeiro; Helena Teixeira Godoy

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130350

A study of the bioactive potential of seven neglected and underutilized leaves consumed in Brazil

Food Chem. 2021 Dec 1:364:130350. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130350. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: souza.tcl@gmail.com.
² Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil; Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, United Kingdom.
³ Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
⁴ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, 13083-871 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
⁶ Chemical, Biological, and Agricultural Pluridisciplinary Research Center, University of Campinas, 13148-218 Paulínia, SP, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, United Kingdom.
⁸ Catholic University of Portugal, CBQF - Centre of Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry - Associate Laboratory, Faculty of Biotechnology, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal.
⁹ Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: helenatg@unicamp.br.

PMID: 34153595
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130350

Abstract

This study investigated the vitamin C content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and the potential bioactivities (antioxidant, antiproliferative, antibacterial activities, and inhibition capacity against N-nitrosation) of seven neglected and underutilized species (NUS): culantro (Eryngium foetidum), false roselle (Hibiscus acetosella), roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), tree basil (Ocimum gratissimum), Barbados Gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata), purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium). Phenolic-rich extracts were obtained by a sequential optimization strategy (Plackett-Burman and Central Composite Design). O. gratissimum presented the highest TPC and X. sagittifolium the greater total vitamin C content. Overall, the plant extracts presented promising bioactive capacities, as scavenging capacity against HOCl, H₂O₂ and ROO^• induced oxidation. P. oleracea demonstrated the highest cytostatic effect against ovarian and kidney tumor cells. O. gratissimum effectively inhibited S. Choleraesuis growth. Maximum inhibition on n-nitrosation was showed by O. gratissimum and E. foetidum. These results highlight the studied NUS as sources of potential health-promoting compounds.

Keywords: Anticancer; Antitumor; Bioactive; NOC; Phenolic optimization; Wild plants; vitamin C.

MeSH terms

Brazil
Hibiscus*
Hydrogen Peroxide*
Plant Extracts / pharmacology
Plant Leaves

Substances

Plant Extracts
Hydrogen Peroxide