Antioxidant Properties and Flavonoid Profile in Leaves of Calabrian Lavandula multifida L., an Autochthon Plant of Mediterranean Southern Regions

Abstract

Lavandula multifida is a rare short-lived plant characteristic of Mediterranean basin able to survive in hot and arid climatic conditions on poorly evolved limestone soils. In this work, we characterize the enzymatic antioxidant system and phenolic composition, as well as the antioxidant properties of L. multifida fresh leaves. Enzymatic patterns show high level of peroxidases, ascorbate peroxidase, and dehydroascorbate reductase activities, when compared with L. angustifolia. The same trend is evident in total carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and reduced glutathione, and in the total antioxidant capacity assay. Moreover, RP-DAD-HPLC analyses of EtOH extract, obtained from fresh leaves, reveal main components, carvacrol, vitexin, and 7- or 8-glucoside derivatives of hypolaetin, scutellarein, luteolin, isoscutellarein, apigenin, and chrysoeriol. The analysis of this autochthon plant depicted a series of strategies adopted by L. multifida to survive in its stressful natural habitat and richness in health-promoting compounds that can be a resource for the preservation of this variety in dangerous of extinction.

Assessment of Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Potential of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) Grown in Southern Italy

“…The amount of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and glutathione, and also a high ascorbic acid content with respect to the dehydroascorbic acid concentration (Table 2), indicate how the plant has developed its antioxidative defense system in the acclimation process for controlling ROS homeostasis. Plant phenolics constitute one of major groups of compounds acting as primary antioxidant or free radical terminators [32,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46]. The leaf extracts of Jatropha curcas L. are also rich in phenolic compounds and tartaric acid ester derivatives (Table 2), which further contribute to the health promoting properties of this plant.…”

Quercus ilex L.: How season, Plant Organ and Extraction Procedure Can Influence Chemistry and Bioactivities

“…Intensive evidence demonstrates that oxidative stress is intimately involved in age‐related neurodegenerative diseases development . This has led to an accelerated search for antioxidants and cholinesterase inhibitors from different natural sources . However, active polar compounds, such as phenolic compounds, need to be encapsulated, for instance, in liposomes or polymeric nanoparticles in order to cross the blood brain barrier in intact form.…”

Essential oils of spontaneous species of the genus Lavandula from Portugal: a brief review

“…Lavandula multifida (fern leaf lavender, Egyptian lavender) is a species of the section Pterostoechas occurring commonly along the Mediterranean coast (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Spain, Portugal). In Italy, the plant has been found in the hot and arid climatic conditions of Calabria and Sicily [22,23], whereas in Tunisia the plant can be found in upper semi-arid bioclimates, particularly in open calcareous garrigues [24]; and in Morocco it also grows on calcareous soils and on the borders of rivers of temporary drainage, between 800 and 2000 m altitude [25]. In Portugal, L. multifida grows in the southern region (Sesimbra, Arrábida and Mértola) [23].…”

“…In Portugal, L. multifida grows in the southern region (Sesimbra, Arrábida and Mértola) [23]. Generally, L. multifida populations are reduced and fragmented due to the human impact on its natural habitat [22]). Owing to this negative fact, Panuccio et al [26] have developed germination strategies in order to preserve the genetic biodiversity of autochthon L. multifida plants.…”