The Profile and Content of Polyphenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Anti-Glycation Properties of Root Extracts of Selected Medicinal Herbs

Abstract

The objective of our study was to analyse the extracts from six medicinal herb roots (marshmallow, dandelion, liquorice, angelica, burdock, and comfrey) in terms of antioxidant capacity (ABTS, DPPH) and inhibition of advanced glycation end product (AGEs) formation. The quantification of phenolic acids and flavonoids was analysed using the UHPLC-DAD-MS method. Fifteen polyphenolic compounds were detected in the studied herbs. The higher number of polyphenols were found in marshmallows (ten polyphenols), while the lowest was in comfrey (five compounds). Liquorice root revealed the highest individual phenolic concentration (382 µg/g dm) with the higher contribution of kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside. Comfrey root extract was characterised by the most abundant TPC (Total Phenolic Content) value (29.79 mg GAE/ g dm). Burdock and comfrey showed the strongest anti-AGE activity studies with the BDA-GLU model. Burdock root was also characterised by the highest anti-AGE activity in the BSA-MGO model. The highest antioxidant capacity was determined by ABTS (72.12 µmol TE/g dw) and DPPH (143.01 µmol TE/g dw) assays for comfrey extract. The p-coumaric acid content was significantly correlated with anti-AGE activity determined by the BSA-MGO model. This research sheds new light on the bioactivity of root herbs, explaining the role of p-coumaric acid in preventing diabetes.