Phytochemical diversity and biological activities of Hypericum japonicum and Hypericum sampsonii: potential for natural product-based food applications

This study characterizes two species of the genus Hypericum to envisage their applicability as effective and versatile functional foods, dietary supplements, and food preservatives. A wide phenolic composition was found in both extracts, highlighting flanovoids for H. japonicum and xanthones for H. sampsonii. Moreover, anthocya- nins were analyzed for the first time in the latter plant. Antioxidant capacity was highlighted by oxidative he- molysis inhibition assay (OxHLIA), where H. japonicum was more effective (lower EC50) than antioxidant Trolox (16.3 < 21.8 μg/mL). H. sampsonii extract inhibited lipid peroxidation in the thiobarbituric acid reactive sub- stances (TBARS) method (EC50 = 17.05 μg/mL) compared to Trolox (EC50 = 5.8 μg/mL). H. japonicum anti- bacterial activity showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.007 mg/mL, even lower than the control. These results indicate the bioactive potential of both extracts, as well as the importance of evaluating the food-related bioactive components of medicinal plants and the mechanisms involved in their bioactivities.

Keywords

Hypericum spp. Nutrients LC-MS Polyphenols Anthocyanins Antimicrobial activity Natural antioxidants Product-based food applications

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/34462

Citation

Barciela, Paula; Rodrigues, Daniele B.; Perez-Vazquez, Ana; Silveira, Tayse F.F. da; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Mandim, Filipa; Carpena, Maria; Pereira, Carla; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Prieto, Miguel A. (2025). Phytochemical diversity and biological activities of Hypericum japonicum and Hypericum sampsonii: potential for natural product-based food applications. Food Chemistry. ISSN 0308-8146. 484, p. 1-19