1
3RD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF NUTRIGENETICS/NUTRIGENOMICS October 21-23, 2009 – Bethesda, Maryland Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in Liguria region, Italy Linda Enrica Sacchetti 1 , Paola Vanzani 2* , Monica Rossetto 2 , Veronica De Marco 2 , Tiziano Gomiero 3 , Adelio Rigo 2 e Maurizio G. Paoletti 3 . 1 Nutritionist/Biologist – assistant at the laboratory Agroecology & Ethnobiology, Department of Biology – Padova University, Italy - [email protected] * contributed equally to the work 2 Department of Biological Chemistry – Padova University, Italy - [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 3 Laboratory Agroecology & Ethnobiology, Department of Biology – Padova University, Italy - [email protected]; [email protected] INTRODUCTION The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables that provide protection against degenerative diseas such as cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Wild herbs used in the Mediterranean diet are found rich in polyphenols and vitamins, useful as formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals. “Preboggion” or “prebuggiun” is a mixture of wild or semi-domesticated pot-herbs collected in Liguria (north-west Italy Fig. 1) by farmed on uncultivated land, and are usually found in local markets. The plants are used raw or boiled, as key ingredients for soups, stuffing for pies and vegetable raviolis (the typical pansotti) or simply as a side- dish. Leaves and shoots are used raw or boiled for a few minutes. Usually about 38 species, belonging to 15 families (more than half of which from the Compositae family). We have investigated the antioxidant properties of a dozen of wild herbs used to make “preboggion”. Among them at least six are characterized by a radical scavenging activity, in terms of both transfer of H atoms and of electrons, similar or better than those of some foods that are well know for their antioxidant properties such as Blueberry and Verona Red Chicory (see yellow color in Tab. 2) Figure 1. Geographical area of gathering edible wild plants with antioxidant properties TP a ePRTE b PRTC c FRAP d mg/g mgTrolox/g umol/g umol Fe 2+ /g Centranthus ruber (L.) DC. 3.5 10.8 99.2 26.28 Hyoseris radiata L. 3.37 26.3 171.3 31.13 Plantago lanceolata L. 4.7 22.8 223.3 43.81 Ranunculus ficaria L. 1.87 1.9 33.2 12.8 Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth 3.99 25.8 153.3 38.91 Sanguisorba minor L. 16.74 17.5 212 257.10 Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke 4.56 1.4 - 27.35 Sonchus oleraceus L. 3.17 22.1 129.1 31.75 Rumex crispus 10.52 8.9 - 131.8 Foeniculum vulgare L. 3.02 18.1 105.2 27.88 Verona Red Chicory 2.29 23.2 90.1 38.1 Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) 3.57 25.6 62.3 64.54 Table 1. Some Mediterranean herbaceous plants used as foods in Liguria region. The wild plants are used boiled and raw. Edible part leaves, for (*) aerial parts. a TP, Total Phenols from Folin-Ciocalteu method expressed as mg of Gallic acid per g of fresh weight plant b ePRTE, equivalent Peroxyl Radical Trapping Efficiency in terms of mg of Trolox presents in 1 g of fresh plant c PRTC, Peroxyl Radical Trapping Capacity, in terms of umol of peroxyl radical trapped / g of fresh weight plant d FRAP, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power, in terms of umol of reduced iron / g of fresh weight plant Conclusions Modern diet tends to be poor in vegetables. Human health, however, may be improved if more antioxidant-rich plants take part in our diet. The plants we have examined appear particularly attractive because of their high polyphenol content and high peroxyl radical trapping activity. It is worth underlining that their trapping activity (measured by PRTE and PRTC values) was assessed in a system which mimics the conditions occurring in the upper small intestine, where peroxidation of food-contained PUFA (PolyUnsatured Fatty Acid) may easily occur and where the antioxidants present in these plants may provide real protection, since there are not bioavailability problems. Rediscovering local traditional knowledge is a precious means to learn about the use of wild and semi-domesticated plants both as food and as traditional medical usage, an important information about their possible value as herbal medicine. The species investigated may also supply important information about environmental health, ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity preservation . Tab.3. TP, PRTE, PRTC and FRAP in some wild plants boiled and raw included in the “Preboggion” blend Bibliography Bisio A., and Minuto L.(1999): Il preboggiun: leggenda e tradizione di una miscela di erbe selvatiche. In Guerci A. (Ed) Il cibo e il corpo.Dal cibo alla cultura, dalla cultura al cibo /Food and body/ From food to culture, from culture to food. Erga Edizioni; (GE) dicembre 1999. Iris F. F. Benzie and J. J. Strain. (1996) The Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) as a measure of ‘Antioxidant Power’: the FRAP assay. Analytical Biochemistry, 239, 70-76. Lee, K. W., Kim, Y. J., Lee, H. J., & Lee, C. Y. (2003) Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51, 7292-7295. Paoletti M.G., Dreon A.L. and G.G. Lorenzoni, 1995. Edible Weeds “Pistic” found in W. Friuli, (N.E.Italy). Econ. Bot., 49(1): 26-30. Rossetto, M., Lante, A., Vanzani, P., Spettoli, P., Scarpa, M., & Rigo, A. (2005) Red chicories as potent scavengers of highly reactive radicals: a study on their phenolic composition and peroxyl radical trapping capacity and efficiency. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53, 8169-8175. Rossetto, M., Vanzani, P., De Marco, V., Zennaro, L., Scarpa, M., & Rigo, A. (2008) Fast and simple method for the simultaneous evaluation of the capacity and efficiency of food antioxidants in trapping peroxyl radicals in an intestinal model system. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,56, 3486-3492. Singleton, V. L., Orthofer, R., & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (1999). Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of folin-ciocalteu reagent. Methods in Enzymology, 299 , 152-178. Zeghichi, S., Kallithraka, S., Simopoulos, A.P. & Kypriotakis, Z. (2003):Nutritional Composition of Selected Wild Plants an the Diet of Crete. - In: Simopoulos, A.P. & Gopalan, C. (eds.), Plants in Health and Nutrition Policy, World Rev. Nutr. Diet. Basel, Karger, 91: 22- 40. Zennaro, L., Rossetto, M., Vanzani, P., De Marco, V., Scarpa, M., Battistin, L., & Rigo, A. (2007) A method to evaluate capacity and efficiency of water soluble and H-donor antioxidants as peroxyl radical scavengers. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 462, 38-46. Common name ITA EN Family Scientific name Ligurian preparations Traditional properties Valeriana rossa Red Valerian Valerianaceae Centranthus ruber (L.) DC. Boiled leaves; young leaves are used for salads. Nervine, antispasmodic properties Radicchio selvatico Hyoseris . Compositae Hyoseris radiata L Boiled leaves and leaf salad. Blood depurative Piantaggin Ribwort Plantain Plantaginaceae Plantago lanceolata L. Cooked leaves. Taste: slightly bitter Anti-inflammatory, cicatrizant action, soothing Favagello Lesser Celandine Ranuncolaceae Ranunculus ficaria L Boiled leaves Revulsive and cicatrizant action, against haemorrhoids Grattalingua French Scorzonera Compositae Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth Eaten raw in salads or cooked Diuretic, depurative, analgesic against toothache Salvastrella maggiore Salad Burnet . Rosaceae Sanguisorba minor L Boiled leaves or leaf salad. Taste: slightly bitter (*) Astringent, aperitive, digestive properties Crespino comune Sow Thistleg Compositae Sonchus oleraceus L. Tender leaflets are used in salads or boiled. Taste: slightly bitter, with hazelnut flavour. Astringent, tonic, cholagogue, emmenagogues properties Finocchio selvatico Wild fennel Apiaceae Foeniculum vulgare Miller Leaves and stem raw or cooked; seeds are used as a flavouring in castagnaccio cakes Aperitive, digestive properties; SAMPLE TP ( mg/g) PRTE (mg trolox/g ) PRTC (μmol/g ) FRAP (μmol Fe 2+ /g ) wild plants blend raw 5.23 +/- 0.17 25.9 +/- 2.4 151.6 +/- 2.9 63.65 +/- 3.32 wild plants boiled 2.20 +/- 0.19 11.3 +/- 1.3 48.6 +/- 6.1 21.99 +/- 0.86 Boiled liquid* 4.14 +/- 0.07 20.1 +/- 3.1 113.7 +/- 4.0 44.1 +/- 1.25 mixture of herbs (3 grams for each herb) has been boiled for 15 minutes in water at 100 ° C. *boiled liquid: 12.4 ml/g fresh weight (FW) ; PRTE = 1.62 mg trolox/ml of boiled liquid; PRTC = 9.17 umoli L02°ml boiled liquid Table 2. Total Phenol content, PRTC, FRAP and PRTE values of some wild Mediterranean herbs Plantago lanceolata L. Centranthus ruber (L.) DC Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth Hyoseris radiata L. Acknowledgments Special thanks to the collectors of herbs of the hills of Genoa in particular Andrea Queirolo and Iva Lavagnino

Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in ... · Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in Liguria region, Italy ... Boiled leaves; young leaves

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in ... · Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in Liguria region, Italy ... Boiled leaves; young leaves

3RD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF NUTRIGENETICS/NUTRIGENOMICSOctober 21-23, 2009 – Bethesda, Maryland

Antioxidant properties of some wild plants used as food in Liguria region, ItalyLinda Enrica Sacchetti1, Paola Vanzani2*, Monica Rossetto2, Veronica De Marco2, Tiziano Gomiero3, Adelio Rigo2 e Maurizio G. Paoletti3.

1 Nutritionist/Biologist – assistant at the laboratory Agroecology & Ethnobiology, Department of Biology – Padova University, Italy - [email protected] *contributed equally to the work 2Department of Biological Chemistry – Padova University, Italy - [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 3Laboratory Agroecology & Ethnobiology, Department of Biology – Padova University, Italy - [email protected]; [email protected]

INTRODUCTIONThe Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables that provide protection against

degenerative diseas such as cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Wild herbs used in the Mediterranean diet are found rich in polyphenols and vitamins, useful as formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals.

“Preboggion” or “prebuggiun” is a mixture of wild or semi-domesticated pot-herbs collected in Liguria (north-west Italy Fig. 1) by farmed on uncultivated land, and are usually found in local markets. The plants are used raw or boiled, as key ingredients for soups, stuffing for pies and vegetable raviolis (the typical pansotti) or simply as a side-dish. Leaves and shoots are used raw or boiled for a few minutes. Usually about 38 species, belonging to 15 families (more than half of which from the Compositae family).

We have investigated the antioxidant properties of a dozen of wild herbs used to make “preboggion”. Among them at least six are characterized by a radical scavenging activity, in terms of both transfer of H atoms and of electrons, similar or better than those of some foods that are well know for their antioxidant properties such as Blueberry and Verona Red Chicory (see yellow color in Tab. 2)

Figure 1. Geographical area of gathering edible wild plants with antioxidant properties

  TPa ePRTEb PRTCc FRAPd

  mg/g mgTrolox/g umol/g umol Fe2+/g

Centranthus ruber (L.) DC. 3.5 10.8 99.2 26.28

Hyoseris radiata L. 3.37 26.3 171.3 31.13

Plantago lanceolata L. 4.7 22.8 223.3 43.81

Ranunculus ficaria L. 1.87 1.9 33.2 12.8

Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth 3.99 25.8 153.3 38.91

Sanguisorba minor L. 16.74 17.5 212 257.10

Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke

4.56 1.4 - 27.35

Sonchus oleraceus L. 3.17 22.1 129.1 31.75

Rumex crispus 10.52 8.9 - 131.8

Foeniculum vulgare L. 3.02 18.1 105.2 27.88

Verona Red Chicory 2.29 23.2 90.1 38.1

Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.)

3.57 25.6 62.3 64.54

Table 1. Some Mediterranean herbaceous plants used as foods in Liguria region. The wild plants are used boiled and raw. Edible part leaves, for (*) aerial parts.

a TP, Total Phenols from Folin-Ciocalteu method expressed as mg of Gallic acid per g of fresh weight plantbePRTE, equivalent Peroxyl Radical Trapping Efficiency in terms of mg of Trolox presents in 1 g of fresh plantc PRTC, Peroxyl Radical Trapping Capacity, in terms of umol of peroxyl radical trapped / g of fresh weight plantdFRAP, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power, in terms of umol of reduced iron / g of fresh weight plant

Conclusions

Modern diet tends to be poor in vegetables. Human health, however, may be improved if more antioxidant-rich plants take part in our diet.

The plants we have examined appear particularly attractive because of their high polyphenol content and high peroxyl radical trapping activity. It is worth underlining that their trapping activity (measured by PRTE and PRTC values) was assessed in a system which mimics the conditions occurring in the upper small intestine, where peroxidation of food-contained PUFA (PolyUnsatured Fatty Acid) may easily occur and where the antioxidants present in these plants may provide real protection, since there are not bioavailability problems.

Rediscovering local traditional knowledge is a precious means to learn about the use of wild and semi-domesticated plants both as food and as traditional medical usage, an important information about their possible value as herbal medicine. The species investigated may also supply important information about environmental health, ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity preservation .

Tab.3. TP, PRTE, PRTC and FRAP in some wild plants boiled and raw included in the “Preboggion” blend

BibliographyBisio A., and Minuto L.(1999): Il preboggiun: leggenda e tradizione di una miscela di erbe selvatiche. In Guerci A. (Ed) Il cibo e il corpo.Dal cibo alla cultura, dalla cultura al cibo /Food and body/ From food to culture, from culture to food. Erga Edizioni; (GE) dicembre 1999.

Iris F. F. Benzie and J. J. Strain. (1996) The Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) as a measure of ‘Antioxidant Power’: the FRAP assay. Analytical Biochemistry, 239, 70-76.

Lee, K. W., Kim, Y. J., Lee, H. J., & Lee, C. Y. (2003) Cocoa has more phenolic phytochemicals and a higher antioxidant capacity than teas and red wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51, 7292-7295.

Paoletti M.G., Dreon A.L. and G.G. Lorenzoni, 1995. Edible Weeds “Pistic” found in W. Friuli, (N.E.Italy). Econ. Bot., 49(1): 26-30.

Rossetto, M., Lante, A., Vanzani, P., Spettoli, P., Scarpa, M., & Rigo, A. (2005) Red chicories as potent scavengers of highly reactive radicals: a study on their phenolic composition and peroxyl radical trapping capacity and efficiency. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53, 8169-8175.

Rossetto, M., Vanzani, P., De Marco, V., Zennaro, L., Scarpa, M., & Rigo, A. (2008) Fast and simple method for the simultaneous evaluation of the capacity and efficiency of food antioxidants in trapping peroxyl radicals in an intestinal model system. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,56, 3486-3492.

Singleton, V. L., Orthofer, R., & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (1999). Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of folin-ciocalteu reagent. Methods in Enzymology, 299, 152-178.

Zeghichi, S., Kallithraka, S., Simopoulos, A.P. & Kypriotakis, Z. (2003):Nutritional Composition of Selected Wild Plants an the Diet of Crete. - In: Simopoulos, A.P. & Gopalan, C. (eds.), Plants in Health and Nutrition Policy, World Rev. Nutr. Diet. Basel, Karger, 91: 22-40.Zennaro, L., Rossetto, M., Vanzani, P., De Marco, V., Scarpa, M., Battistin, L., & Rigo, A. (2007) A method to evaluate capacity and efficiency of water soluble and H-donor antioxidants as peroxyl radical scavengers. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 462, 38-46.

Common nameITAEN

FamilyScientific name

Ligurian

preparationsTraditional properties

Valeriana rossaRed Valerian

ValerianaceaeCentranthus ruber (L.)

DC.

Boiled leaves; young leaves are used for salads.

Nervine, antispasmodic properties

Radicchio selvaticoHyoseris

.

CompositaeHyoseris radiata L

Boiled leaves and leaf salad. Blood depurative

PiantagginRibwort Plantain

PlantaginaceaePlantago lanceolata L.

Cooked leaves. Taste: slightly bitter

Anti-inflammatory, cicatrizant action,

soothing

Favagello Lesser Celandine

RanuncolaceaeRanunculus ficaria L

Boiled leaves Revulsive and cicatrizant action, against haemorrhoids

Grattalingua French Scorzonera

CompositaeReichardia picroides

(L.) Roth

Eaten raw in salads or cooked Diuretic, depurative, analgesic against

toothache

Salvastrella maggioreSalad Burnet

.

RosaceaeSanguisorba minor L

Boiled leaves or leaf salad. Taste: slightly bitter (*)

Astringent, aperitive, digestive properties

Crespino comune Sow Thistleg

CompositaeSonchus oleraceus L.

Tender leaflets are used in salads or boiled.

Taste: slightly bitter, with hazelnut flavour.

Astringent, tonic, cholagogue,

emmenagogues properties

Finocchio selvaticoWild fennel

ApiaceaeFoeniculum vulgare

Miller

Leaves and stem raw or cooked; seeds are used as a flavouring in castagnaccio

cakes

Aperitive, digestive properties;

SAMPLE TP( mg/g)

PRTE (mg trolox/g )

PRTC (µmol/g )

FRAP(µmol Fe2+/g )

wild plants blend raw 5.23 +/- 0.17 25.9 +/- 2.4 151.6 +/- 2.9 63.65 +/- 3.32

wild plants boiled 2.20 +/- 0.19 11.3 +/- 1.3 48.6 +/- 6.1 21.99 +/- 0.86

Boiled liquid* 4.14 +/- 0.07 20.1 +/- 3.1 113.7 +/- 4.0 44.1 +/- 1.25

mixture of herbs (3 grams for each herb) has been boiled for 15 minutes in water at 100 ° C.*boiled liquid: 12.4 ml/g fresh weight (FW) ; PRTE = 1.62 mg trolox/ml of boiled liquid; PRTC = 9.17 umoli L02°ml boiled liquid

Table 2. Total Phenol content, PRTC, FRAP and PRTE values of some wild Mediterranean herbs

Plantago lanceolata L.

Centranthus ruber (L.) DC

Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth

Hyoseris radiata L.

AcknowledgmentsSpecial thanks to the collectors of herbs of the hills of Genoa in particular Andrea Queirolo and Iva Lavagnino