Avaliação da composição química e atividade biológica de Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch

Abstract

Plants are a considerable source of natural products and are often used by humans for their aromatic, medicinal and flavoring abilities. For this reason, as well as the growing demand for natural, biologically active substances, the interest in its use has increased. Considering that an increasing number of consumers associate products with natural ingredients to a higher quality, the food industry has also given greater importance to the use of plant extracts, essential oils and / or its components as a possible alternative to the use of synthetic food additives. Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch. is a plant used as a condiment in several regions of Europe, and is still used as an ingredient in commercial spices and known in Portugal as the knorr plant. However, to date, there are few studies on this species. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out a detailed and exhaustive evaluation of its composition and bioactivity, focusing mainly on the part consumed as food (leaves and stems), but also in the root, used in phytotherapy. The aerial part, cultivated in Portugal, presented a high percentage of humidity, being the carbohydrates the main macronutrient. There was a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular α-linolenic acid, and α-tocopherol was the main vitamin E isoform in leaves and stems. In relation to the phenolic compounds, a total of 7 compounds were identified, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, with 5-Ocaffeoylquinic acid being the predominant one. In regarding to the volatile compounds of the essential oil, monterpenes and phthalides were identified. Both extracts (decoction and hydroalcoholic) presented interesting antioxidant properties and, in general, better activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Only the decoction showed cytotoxic activity against the HepG2 cell line. For the roots, 8 phenolic compounds were identified, with vanillic acid being the major, and several volatile compounds, particularly phthalides. In general, the extracts presented antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, although smaller compared to the leaf. The hexane extract was able to inhibit several cells lines, but also exhibited toxicity to non-tumor liver cells (PLP2). This study revealed that the Lovage presents an interesting nutritional composition and is also a source of several bioactive compounds.