Abstract
Pterospartum tridentatum (L.) Willk., Gomphrena globosa L. and Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. are examples of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties on their own, but that can be improved when mixed. In the present work, the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds were determined in the infusions prepared from the individual plants, and from mixtures of these plants in different proportions. P. tridentatum>C. citratus>G. globosa was the order observed for antioxidant efficacy, which can be related to their different composition in phenolic compounds. Synergism was the main effect observed among the tested mixtures, mainly for the infusions prepared from the plants in proportion 40%:60% (either P. tridentatum and C. citratus; or G. globosa and C. citratus). The infusion obtained with 40% of P. tridentatum and 60% of C. citratus gave the highest antioxidant properties. The present study validates the commercialisation of the studied plants combined in specific proportions.
Highlights
Nowadays, the therapeutic effects of plants are very important for human health, as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 60% of the total human population still treats primary health care problems with traditional remedies based mainly on phytotherapy (WHO, 2014)
Dihydroflavonol C-derivatives were the major compounds found in P. tridentatum infusions (Table 1)
The phenolic profile of infusions prepared from wild P. tridentatum was already described by some authors (Vitor et al, 2004; Paulo et al, 2008); the results described for a commercial sample are more detailed
Summary
The therapeutic effects of plants are very important for human health, as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 60% of the total human population still treats primary health care problems with traditional remedies based mainly on phytotherapy (WHO, 2014). Our research group described the antioxidant activity and phenolic composition in methanol/water extracts (80:20, v/v) of the mentioned species (Roriz, Barros, Carvalho, Santos-Buelga & Ferreira, 2014), but to our knowledge, there are no studies on mixtures of those plants.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
