Characterization of Polyphenols and Mineral Contents in Three Medicinal Weeds

Aims: Common weeds Rorippa palustris (L.) Besser, Euphorbia rothiana Spreng. and Schoenoplectiella articulata (L.) Lye are used for food, medicinal, green biofertilizer and biosorbent applications. In this work, their polyphenol and mineral contents have been characterized. Methodology: Samples from aforementioned three plants were manually collected in Raipur city (CG, India) and processed for the analyses. Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride were used for the spectrophotometric determination of polyphenols. The mineral contents were quantified by X-ray fluorescence. Results: The total concentration of 20 elements (viz. P, S, Cl, As, Se, K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Mo and Pb), total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in the leaves ranged from 46372 to 71501, from 47877 to 73791 and from 1950 to 9400 mg/kg, respectively. Remarkable concentrations of several nutrients (P, S, Cl, K, Mg, Ca and Fe) were observed. Conclusion: The biomass from medicinal weeds R. palustris, E. rothiana and S. articulata featured very high K, Ca and Fe contents. Other nutrients (polyphenols, flavonoids, P, S, Cl and Mg) were identified at moderate levels. These species may hold promise as bioindicators.

Nutritional, Spectral and Thermal Characteristic of Lamiaceae Seeds

Aims: Species of the family Lamiaceae possess a rich tradition of use for flavoring and medicinal purposes. This paper focusses on the nutritional and thermal characteristics of the seeds from eight species belonging to this family: Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm., Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit., Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R.Br., Ocimum americanum L., Ocimum sanctum L. (Rama Tulsi), Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (Krishna Tulsi), Origanum vulgare L. and Tectona grandis L.f. Methodology: The oil, starch, total polyphenol, flavonoid and mineral contents for aforementioned seeds were determined. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to assess the phytoconstituents. Thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric analyses (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses were performed to analyze the decomposition patterns. Results: The concentrations of oil, starch, total polyphenol, flavonoids and minerals for the seeds from the eight plants under study ranged from 11.8 to 50.4%, from 0.22 to 1.84%, from 295 to 5842 mg/kg, from 1660 to 12680 mg/kg and from 11756 to 33927 mg/kg, respectively. Unsaturated oils, polyphenols and lignin were recognized by vibrational spectroscopy. The sequence of thermal effects in the seed pyrolysis process above 100°C have been put in relation to seed protein crystallization (endotherm at 200°C), oxidation reactions and degradation of hemicellulose and other fiber components (at around 300°C), and decomposition of polyunsaturated (at 357°C) and mono-unsaturated (at 391°C) triglycerides. Conclusion: Lamiaceae seeds are potential food alternatives to cereals.

Chemical Composition of Caesalpinioideae Seeds

Aims: Caesalpinioideae species have great medicinal and food values. In this work, six Caesalpinioideae species that grow abundantly in central India were selected for chemical investigation: Delonix regia, Entada gigas, Leucaena leucocephala, Mimosa pudica, Parkia javanica and Senna siamea. The objective of the present work is to describe the phytochemical and mineral composition and the bioaccumulation potentialities of the seeds from aforementioned species. Methodology: Spectrophotometric, enzymatic and X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometric techniques were used for the quantification of polyphenols, starch and mineral contents, respectively. Results: The sum of the total concentrations of 17 macro- and micronutrients (P, S, Cl, K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo and Pb), oil, protein and total starch in the six seeds were in the 20253-78489 mg/kg, 3.1-30.1%, 52.9-91.5% and 5.4–41.0% range, respectively. The highest concentrations of Fe, oil and phenolics were observed in M. pudica seeds. Both thermal and spectral characteristics allowed to differentiate M. pudica and P. javanica seeds (with the highest caloric contents) from the seeds from the other species. Conclusion: The selected Caesalpinioideae seeds are potential sources of the nutrients (i.e., P, S, K, Mg, Ca and Fe) and polyphenols, which are needed for biological metabolism and human health. The presence of heavy metals was well below safety limits, enabling their medicinal uses.

Evaluation of the Phytochemical and Mineral Characteristics of Some Selected Sapotaceae Plants

Aims: To study the spectral and thermal characteristics, and the oil, starch, polyphenol and mineral contents of seeds and leaves from three Sapotaceae species, provided that trees and shrubs of this family are an important source of nutritional and functional products. Methodology: Leaves and seeds from three Sapotaceae plants, namely Moa tree (Madhuca indica J. F. Gmel.), Chico sapote (Manilkara zapota (Linn.) van Royen) and Spanish cherry (Mimusops elengi Linn.), were collected in the Raipur area of Chhattisgarh, India. Their physicochemical characterization (including oil, polyphenol, starch and mineral contents; functional groups; and thermal degradation patterns) was carried out by using various techniques, viz. solvent extraction, spectrophotometry, enzymatic digestion, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Results: The three Sapotaceae seeds under study were found to contain polyphenol, mineral, starch and oil contents in the 1850–23180 mg/kg, 11390–19385 mg/kg, 6.7–9.1% and 9.8-54.1% range, respectively. Their leaves and seed coats featured total phenolic contents in the 24260–28600 mg/kg and 7810–23060 mg/kg range, respectively, and mineral contents in the 8823–27462 mg/kg and 3619–15884 mg/kg range, respectively. The functional groups of the phytochemicals, studied by FTIR, were assigned. Their thermal decomposition patterns, which involved loss of water and volatile organic compounds, proteins, oil and starch/cellulose, were also described. Conclusion: The Sapotaceae leaves, seed coat, kernel and cake are enriched with very high contents of starch, proteins, polyphenols and minerals, suggesting their possible valorization in human food, animal feeding and as herbal medicines.