ALERGÉNIOS ALIMENTARES: DESENVOLVIMENTO DE IMUNO-BIOSSENSORES ELECTROQUÍMICOS  PARA SUA DETECÇÃO

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A comparative study of bioactive properties of wild and commercial Achillea millefolium L.

Publication . Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

Achillea millefolium L., commonly known as yarrow, is a medicinal plant with high bioactive value. Its infusion, decoction and alcoholic extract are widely used in Europe to treat digestive and intestinal problems, but also due to their antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties [1]. In the present work, methanolic extract, infusion and decoction of wild and commercial yarrow were studied for their antioxidant properties and antitumor potential, evaluated by free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition and by estimation of the growth inhibitory activity in human tumor cell lines, respectively. Overall, cultivated yarrow showed the highest antioxidant activity, presenting the lowest EC50 values. Decoctions of both samples revealed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (0.25 and 0.20 mg/ml, respectively), 13-carotene bleaching inhibition {0.18 and 0.22 mg/ml) and TBARS inhibition (0.04 and 0.08 mg/ml), while infusions presented the highest reducing power (0.12 and 0.13 mg/ml). The samples showed a higher lipid peroxidation inhibition, but a lower DPPH scavenging activity than methanolic extract of A. millefolium from Turkey (892.67 and 45.60 11g/ml, respectively) [2]. The infusion of wild yarrow showed the highest potential against breast (MCF-7; 8 150=17.04 1-Jg/ml) and hepatocellular (HepG2; 37.60 1-Jg/ml) carcinoma cell lines, while the methanolic extract of commercial yarrow was most potent against non-small cell lung (NCI H460; 26.64 IJg/ml), colon (HCT-15, 13.90 1-Jg/ml) and cervical (Hela, 19.68 IJg/ml) carcinoma cell lines. The results obtained with the decoction and infusion of cultivated yarrow against MCF-7 line are consistent with the ones reported with ethanolic extract of A. millefolium from Iran (8150=64 .078 1-Jg/ml) [3].This is a groundbreaking study on the comparison of different extracts of A. millefolium, showing that medicinal plants can be used not only in traditional medicine but also as a source of bioactive products, namely antioxidants and antitumorals.

2013Conference object

Open access

Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts and infusions of Laurus nobilis L. leaves: wild versus cultivated samples

Publication . Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Dueñas, Montserrat; Sousa, Maria João; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

Laurtts nobilis L., commonly known as bay leave, is a medicinal and aromatic plant of Lauraceae family, being widely used in many food products as a flavouring agent. The leaf extract is used in folk medicine for its anticonvulsive and antiepileptic activities. but also against migraine, headaches, bacterial and fungal infections and gastric ulcers; the infusions are used for its diuretic and carminative properties_ Ill Herein, wild and cultivated samples of L. nobilis leaves were chemically characterized for nutritional value, free sugars, organic acids, tocopherols and fatty acids, determined by chromatographic techniques. Furthermore, antioxidant activity of their methanolic extracts and infusions was also evaluated through free radicals scavenging, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. Data showed that the wild sample possessed higher nutritional value related to a higher content of proteins, free sugars, organic acids, polyunsarurated fatty acids (PUF A) and tocopherols. lt also gave better PUF NSFA (saturated fatty acids) and n-6/n-3 ratios. Regarding antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds, it was the cultivated sample (mostly the infusions) that showed the highest values. The present study supports the arguments defending the use of wild and cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants as both present very interesting features, whether nutritional or antioxidant. In vitro culture could be applied to L. nobifis as a production methodology that allows combination of the benefits of wild and cultivated samples.

2013Conference object

Open access

Caracterização química de amostras silvestres e comerciais de Achillea millefolium L.

Publication . Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

As plantas medicinais têm vindo a ser usadas desde tempos ancestrais e surgem hoje em dia como uma alternativa aos produtos sintéticos, devido à sua riqueza em compostos bioativos. Achillea millefolium L. pertence à família das Asteraceae e é vulgarmente conhecida como milefólio ou milfolhada, sendo muito comum em prados, caminhos, campos de cultivo e quintais. No presente trabalho, foram caracterizadas amostras comerciais e silvestres de A. millefolium em termos de composição nutricional e perfil em açúcares livres, ácidos orgânicos, ácidos gordos e tocoferóis, determinados por técnicas cromatográficas acopladas a diferentes detectores (HPLC -RI, HPLC -PDA, GC -FID e HPLC -fluorescência, respetivamente). Os hidratos de carbono, seguidos das proteínas, foram os macronutrientes maioritários em ambas as amostras. A amostra comercial mostrou um teor mais elevado de gordura, proteínas, cinzas, valor energético e açúcares totais A amostra silvestre revelou maior conteúdo em hidratos de carbono; também revelou a presença de rafinose, ácidos gordos polinsaturados e ácidos orgânicos. Relativamente aos tocoferóis, ambas as amostras revelaram um perfil muito semelhante, apesar da amostra silvestre ter mostrado uma maior concentração em tocoferóis totais. Os resultados obtidos são uma prova clara que as plantas usadas na medicina tradicional podem ter aplicabilidade não só em produtos caseiros mas também na indústria alimentar e farmacêutica como fonte de compostos bioativos.

2017Journal article

Open access

Chemical composition of wild and commercial Achillea millefolium L. and bioactivity of the methanolic extract, infusion and decoction

Publication . Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Dueñas, Montserrat; Pereira, Eliana; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

Medicinal plants used in folk medicine are being increasingly studied and used on pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical fields. Herein, wild and commercial samples of Achillea millefolium L. (yarrow) were chemically characterized with respect to their macronutrients, free sugars, organic acids, fatty acids and tocopherols. Furthermore, in vitro antioxidant properties (free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) and antitumour potential (against breast, lung, cervical and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines) of their methanolic extract, infusion and decoction (the most consumed forms) was evaluated and compared to the corresponding phenolic profile obtained by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Data obtained showed that the chemical profiles of wild and commercial samples, and also their methanolic extract, infusion and decoction were similar, varying only in the quantities found. Commercial yarrow have higher content of fat and saturated fatty acids, proteins, ash, energy value, sugars and flavonoids, while the wild sample revealed higher levels of carbohydrates, organic acids, unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and phenolic acids. The heterogeneity among the antioxidant and antitumour results of the samples and some low correlations with total phenolic compounds indicates that specific compounds, rather than the totality of them, are involved in the bioactive properties of samples.

2013Journal article

Restricted access

Antioxidant properties of flowers and vegetative parts of wild Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia

Publication . Dias, Maria Inês; Barros, Lillian; Sousa, Maria João; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

The species of the genus Taraxacum are known as dendalion (due to the shape of the leaves) and are commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere, in inhabiting fields and roadsides with warmer temperatures. Dendalion infusion and decoction are used in traditional medicine to treat kidney disease, dyspepsia, arthritic and rheumatic complaints, skin problems like eczema and even diabetes mellitus. Besides the pharmaceutical uses, the whole plant is included in many food products [1]. One of the most commonly consumed species is T. officinale; however, traditional collectors have sometimes difficulties in distinguish different Taraxacum species. In the present study, two samples of wild Taraxacum sect. Rudera/ia collected in Bragan9a, flowers and vegetative parts, were studied for their antioxidant activity. Free radicals (DPPH- 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition were evaluated on the methanolic extract, infusion and decoction of dandelion samples. The results of the antioxidant activity of the flowers and vegetative parts were very similar. Decoctions of both samples showed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (EC50= 0.42 and 0.12 mg/ml for flowers and vegetative parts, respectively). The decoction of vegetative parts also showed the highest reducing power (EC50= 0.16 mg/ml). The decoction of flowers and the infusion of vegetative parts showed very similar results for 13-carotene bleaching inhibition (EC50= 0.40 and 0.46 mg/ml, respectively) .The methanolic extract of vegetative parts showed the highest activity in TSARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) assay (EC50= 0.13 mg/ml), although the infusion revealed also a low EC50 value for the same assay (0.16 mg/ml). As far as we know, there are no previously studies on the comparison of the antioxidant activity of different extracts and parts of this species of dendalion. More studies will be conducted to evaluate the activity against human tumour cell lines and to characterize the bioactive compounds present in the different extracts.

2013Conference object

Open access