Abstract
The chemical composition and bioactive properties of two plants (Calendula officinalis L. and Mentha cervina L.) were studied. Their nutritional value revealed a high content of carbohydrates and low fat levels, and very similar energy values. However, they presented different profiles in phenolic compounds and fatty acids; C. officinalis presented mainly glycosylated flavonols and saturated fatty acids, while M. cervina presented mainly caffeoyl derivatives and polyunsaturated fatty acids. M. cervina showed the highest concentration of phenolic compounds while C. officinalis presented higher amounts of sugars, organic acids and tocopherols. The highest antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were obtained for the hydromethanolic extract of M. cervina, which presented the lowest values of EC50 and exhibited cytotoxicity against the four tumor cell lines tested. Infusions showed no cytotoxicity for the tumor cell lines, and none of the extracts showed toxicity against non-tumor cells. This study contributes to expand the knowledge on both natural sources and therefore their use.
Highlights
IntroductionCalendula officinalis L (Asteraceae), commonly known as ( pot) marigold, is an aromatic, erect, annual herb with yellow to orange flowers, used in the Mediterranean region since the time of the ancient Greeks and known in the Indian and Arabic cultures; it is cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes
Since ancient times, plants have been used as food and as medicine
Quinic, malic, ascorbic and citric acids were determined following a procedure previously described by Barros et al.[28] and the analysis was performed by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detection (UFLC-PDA; Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan), using 215 nm and 245 nm as the preferred wavelengths; the quantification was performed by comparison of the area of the peaks recorded at the corresponding wavelength with calibration curves obtained from the commercial standards of each compound
Summary
Calendula officinalis L (Asteraceae), commonly known as ( pot) marigold, is an aromatic, erect, annual herb with yellow to orange flowers, used in the Mediterranean region since the time of the ancient Greeks and known in the Indian and Arabic cultures; it is cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes. (Lamiaceae) known as Hart’s pennyroyal, is an aromatic herb, found mainly in Eurasia and Africa This species of mint grows on edges of flooded areas, sometimes temporarily and has been cultivated in Central Europe since the sixteenth century, used as a medicinal herb in part because of its fine flavor.[23] It is used traditionally as a food seasoning, mainly in fish recipes, fish soup, together with M. pulegium L. or as a substitute. To the best of author’s knowledge, the available data about the phytochemical characterization and bioactivity of these plants are limited, especially for M. cervina
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