Health-Promoting Properties of Brazilian Unconventional Food Plants

Abstract

This study lies on the unexplored and unprecedented opportunities for the discovery of Unconventional Food Plants (UFPs) rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. UFPs grow spontaneously and have been consider an important food sources and demonstrate health-promoting properties. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical profiles together with the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant in vitro activities of the Brazilian UFPs Hypochaeris chillensis, Emilia fosbergii and Emilia sonchifolia. Preliminary secondary metabolites were identified by LC–MS/MS analysis. Antioxidant activity was determined by the ABTS cation radical scavenging capacity, ferric reducing/antioxidant potential (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assays. The effects of UFPs on nitric oxide (NO), superoxide anion generation (O2•−), and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) production and on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity was determined using Griess reagent, immunoenzymatic assay kits (ELISA) and chemiluminescence measurements in cell-based assays, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed significant amount of total phenolic content in all of the studied plants. E. fosbergii showed the highest antioxidant capacity in all of the chemical assays, exhibiting IC50 values of 32.9 ± 4.8, 50.2 ± 2.3 and 24.0 ± 2.9 µg mL−1 in the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively. The studied UFPs showed a significant intracellular reduction in NO and O2•− production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Additionally, UFPs suppressed the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, E. sonchifolia suppressed NF-κB activity. Altogether, the investigated UFPs exhibited promising bioactive compounds that were capable of neutralizing free radicals, controlling oxidative stress and modulating the inflammatory process.