Abstract
Chemical profile and antioxidant activity of the species Veronica saturejoides Vis. ssp. saturejoides (Plantaginaceae)—which is endemic to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro —were investigated. Volatile compounds produced by glandular trichomes (composed of one stalk cell and two elliptically formed head cells according to scanning electron microscope investigation) were isolated from the plants collected in two locations. Additionally, as a part of specialized metabolites, total polyphenols, total tannins, total flavonoids and total phenolic acids were determined spectrophotometrically. In the lipophilic volatile fractions-essential oils, the most abundant compounds identified were hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, caryophyllene oxide and hexadecanoic acid. In total, the class of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and the group of fatty aldehydes, acids and alcoholic compounds dominated in the essential oils. In the hydrophilic volatile fractions-hydrosols, the most abundant compounds identified were trans-p-mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol, allo-aromadendrene and (E)-caryophyllene. A group of oxygenated monoterpenes and the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated in the hydrosols. Antioxidant activity of essential oils and hydrosols was tested with two methods: 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Essential oils showed higher antioxidant activity than hydrosols and showed similar antioxidant activity to Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil. Obtained results demonstrate that this genus is a potential source of volatiles with antioxidant activity.
Highlights
The genus Veronica L. is the largest within the order Lamiales with about450 species
The yield of essential oil (EO) for two samples, Prenj (PS) and Kamešnica (KS), was 0.07% and 0.03% respectively. This endemic species is rich in volatile compounds that have been studied in oils and hydrosols
The results showed that in 4 out of 5 samples, the total oil has a higher antioxidant activity than its fractions, and in 3 out of 5 samples, the total oil has a higher activity than isolated single active compounds, so that we can conclude that the synergy between different compounds in the essential oil plays a crucial role in its activity [45]
Summary
The genus Veronica L. is the largest within the order Lamiales (family Plantaginaceae) with about. The extreme variability in morphology and the very good adaptation to the different living conditions of this genus has allowed it to be widely distributed on a wide range of habitats, from aquatic, swamp and forest habitats to rocks, cracks, fields and ruderal habitats [1]. Between 30 and 40 species of the genus Veronica have. Plants 2020, 9, 1646 been described in Croatia [3], but the species studied in this research is the only endemic species. Saturejoides grows on the rocks in the Dinaric Mountains in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. There are two other subspecies of this plant, one from Albania, V. saturejoides ssp. Munellensis, and one from Bulgaria, V. saturejoides ssp.
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