Monofloral Corn Poppy Bee-Collected Pollen—A Detailed Insight into Its Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compile a detailed phytochemical profile and assess the antioxidant properties of bee-collected pollen (PBP) obtained from corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas L.) plants. To achieve this, a lipid fraction was prepared for quantifying fatty acids using GC-FID. Extractable and alkaline-hydrolysable PBP fractions (obtained from a defatted sample) were used to determine the qualitative and quantitative profiles of phenolic compounds, phenylamides and alkaloids using UHPLC/Q-ToF-MS. Additionally, various spectrophotometric assays (TAC, FRP, CUPRAC, DPPH⦁) were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds were more present in the extractable fraction than in the alkaline-hydrolysable fraction. Luteolin was the predominant compound in the extractable fraction, followed by tricetin and various derivatives of kaempferol. This study presents one of the first reports on the quantification of tricetin aglycone outside the Myrtaceae plant family. The alkaline-hydrolysable fraction exhibited a different phenolic profile, with a significantly lower amount of phenolics. Kaempferol/derivatives, specific compounds like ferulic and 5-carboxyvanillic acids, and (epi)catechin 3-O-gallate were the predominant compounds in this fraction. Regarding phenylamides, the extractable fraction demonstrated a diverse range of these bioactive compounds, with a notable abundance of different spermine derivatives. In contrast, the hydrolysable fraction contained six spermine derivatives and one spermidine derivative. The examined fractions also revealed the presence of seventeen different alkaloids, belonging to the benzylisoquinoline, berberine and isoquinoline classes. The fatty-acid profile confirmed the prevalence of unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, both fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with the extractable fraction showing particularly high activity. Among the assays conducted, the CUPRAC assay highlighted the exceptional ability of PBP’s bioactive compounds to reduce cupric ions.

Functional iridoid synthases from iridoid producing and non-producing Nepeta species (subfam. Nepetoidae, fam. Lamiaceae)

“…The QToF-MS system was equipped with an Agilent Jet Stream electrospray ionization (ESI) source, operating in both positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI-) ionization modes. The operation parameters for ESI, as well as the other settings of the QToF mass analyzer and data-dependent acquisition (DDA) parameters were the same as in Kostić et al., 2023 . Agilent MassHunter software was used for data acquisition.…”

Phytochemical Analysis, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies of Root Extracts from Paeonia Species in Serbia

“…Separation and identification of bioactive compounds were performed on an Agilent 1290 Infinity ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (6530C Q-ToF-MS) (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA, USA), as previously described in detail by Kostić et al [ 109 ]. Spectra were recorded in the m / z range from 100 to 1700 in both operating ionization modes (ESI+/ESI−), using auto-MS/MS acquisition.…”

Broccoli, Amaranth, and Red Beet Microgreen Juices: The Influence of Cold-Pressing on the Phytochemical Composition and the Antioxidant and Sensory Properties

“…The phytochemical profiles of the microgreen extracts and prepared juices were analyzed using the Agilent 1290 Infinity ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (6530C Q-ToF-MS) (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA), according to the method described in detail previously by Kostić and Milinčić [ 33 ]. The QToF-MS system was equipped with a dual Agilent Jet Stream electrospray ionization (ESI) source that operated in both positive (ESI + ) and negative (ESI − ) ionization modes.…”

“…The QToF-MS system was equipped with a dual Agilent Jet Stream electrospray ionization (ESI) source that operated in both positive (ESI + ) and negative (ESI − ) ionization modes. The operating parameters for ESI were the same as previously reported by Kostić and Milinčić [ 33 ]. Agilent Mass Hunter software ver.…”