Phytochemicals, antioxidant, anti-acetyl-cholinesterase, and antimicrobial activities of decoction and infusion of Pelargonium graveolens.

In Tunisia, Pelargonium graveolens is widely consumed as a food aromatizing hydrosol. Recent studies have shown the potential of plant solvent-free extracts as food and pharmaceutical natural additives. Accordingly, in this study, we investigate the phenolic content, the volatile fractions of green P. graveolens extracts such as infusion and decoction, and we evaluate their biological activities. The total phenolic content of the infusion (27.05 mg GAE/gDM) is significantly different from that of decoction (31.2 mg GAE/gDM). The GC-MS analysis identified about twenty volatile components in both extracts. The DPPH inhibition and the ß-carotene bleaching tests of the infusion and the decoction had considerable results. Besides, infusion and decoction exhibited a relatively high anti-acetyl-cholinesterase activity and a considerable antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, among three tested pathogenic bacteria.

Pelargonium graveolens Aqueous Decoction: A New Water-Soluble Polysaccharide and Antioxidant-Rich Extract.

BACKGROUND: The decoction of Pelargonium graveolens yields an antioxidant-rich extract and a water-soluble polysaccharide. This study aims (1) to investigate the effect of process parameters (extraction time and temperature) on the antioxidant activity of the decoction and the extraction yield of CPGP by response methodology and (2) to study the chemical properties of the optimized decoction and rheological properties of the corresponding extracted polysaccharide. RESULTS: The antioxidant-rich decoction contained about 19.76 ± 0.41 mg RE/g DM of flavonoids and 5.31 ± 0.56 mg CE/gDM of condensed tannins. The crude Pelargonium graveolens polysaccharide (CPGP) contained 87.27 % of sugar. Furthermore, the CPGP solutions (0.5%, 1%, and 2%) exhibited shear-thinning or pseudoplastic flow behavior. A central composite design (CDD) was applied to assess the effects of temperature and time on the antioxidant activity of the decoction, on the one hand, and on water-soluble polysaccharide yield, on the other. The decoction optimization of Pelargonium graveolens aimed to use less energy (93°C for 11 minutes) leading to the highest values of decoction phenolic content (33.01 ±0.49 mg GAE/gDM) and DPPH scavenging activity (136.10 ± 0.62 mg TXE/gDM) and the highest values of CPGP yield (6.97%). CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggest that the CPGP rheological characteristics are suitable for applications in many industries, especially food. The values of optimal conditions showed that Pelargonium graveolens decoction operation could have multiple uses, especially for consuming less energy.