Impact of Growth Sites on the Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Three Algerian Mentha Species (M. pulegium L., M. rotundifolia (L.) Huds., and M. spicata L.)

Fatiha Brahmi; Nassima Lounis; Siham Mebarakou; Naima Guendouze; Drifa Yalaoui-Guellal; Khodir Madani; Lila Boulekbache-Makhlouf; Pierre Duez

doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.886337

Impact of Growth Sites on the Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Three Algerian Mentha Species (M. pulegium L., M. rotundifolia (L.) Huds., and M. spicata L.)

Front Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 17:13:886337. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.886337. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Fatiha Brahmi¹, Nassima Lounis¹, Siham Mebarakou¹, Naima Guendouze¹, Drifa Yalaoui-Guellal², Khodir Madani^{1

3}, Lila Boulekbache-Makhlouf¹, Pierre Duez⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Biomathematics Biophysics Biochemistry and Scientometry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, University of Bejaia, Bejaia, Algeria.
² Laboratory of Biomathematics Biophysics Biochemistry and Scientometry, Faculty of Natural, Life and Earth Sciences, Akli Mohand Oulhadj University of Bouira, Bouira, Algeria.
³ Agri-Food Technologies Research Center, Bejaia, Algeria.
⁴ Unit of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons, Belgium.

Abstract

Research studies about the effect of environmental agents on the accumulation of phenolic compounds in medicinal plants are required to establish a set of optimal growth conditions. Hence, in this work, we considered the impact of habitat types, soil composition, climatic factors, and altitude on the content of phenolics in Mentha species [M. pulegium L. (MP), M. rotundifolia (L.) Huds. (MR), and M. spicata L. (MS)] grown in different regions of Algeria. The phenolic contents and antioxidant activities were analyzed using spectrophotometric and HPTLC methods. The harvesting localities differ by their altitudes and climates, but their soils are quite similar, characterized by slight alkalinity, moderate humidity, no-salinity, and high levels in organic matter. Both the contents in total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and rosmarinic acid (RAC), and the antioxidant activities of Mentha samples collected from these Algerian localities are affected by the geographical regions of origin. The samples of MS and MP from the Khemis-Miliana region showed the highest concentration in TPC (MS, 7853 ± 265 mg GAE/100 g DW; MP, 5250 ± 191 mg GAE/100 g DW), while in Chemini, the MR samples were the richest in these compounds (MR, 3568 ± 195 mg GAE/100 g DW). Otherwise, the MP (from Tichy), MR (from Tajboudjth), and MS (from Khemis-Miliana) specimens exhibited the highest levels of TFC and RAC. The antioxidant levels in a total activity test (reduction of phosphomolybdate) appear correlated with the total phenolic contents, but this was not the case for most of the important ROS-scavenging and iron-chelating capacities for which the quality of polyphenols is probably more important than their amounts. A principal component analysis (PCA) score plot indicates that all of the Mentha samples can be divided into four groups. These discriminated groups appear comparatively similar in phenolic contents and antioxidant activities. As for the harvest localities, the Mentha samples were divided into four groups in which the phenolic contents and antioxidant activities were comparatively equivalent.

Keywords: Mentha species; antioxidant activity; harvesting region; phenolic contents; rosmarinic acid; soil analysis.