Unconventional food leaves as alternatives for pesto sauce production: phenolic content and antioxidant activity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34119/bjhrv8n5-105Keywords:
antioxidants, non-conventional food plants, phenolic compoundsAbstract
Unconventional Food Plants (UFPs) have gained attention for their nutritional and functional potential, as well as for representing a sustainable and accessible alternative that values biodiversity and the use of regional ingredients. This study investigated the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of fresh leaves from three UFPs: bertalha-coração (Anredera cordifolia), beldroega (Talinum fruticosum), and ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata), compared to fresh leaves from basil (Ocimum basilicum), as promising alternatives for the production of pesto sauce. Phenolic compounds were extracted from the leaves with metanol. The TPC and the AA (%Inhibition, or %I) of the extracts were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the DPPH free radical assay, respectively. Experiments were performed in triplicate. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test (α = 5%). The TPC of basil (174.9 mg GAE/100 g) was significantly (p<0,05) higher (3.1 to 4.8 times) than the TPC of all other UFPs; Beldroega (36.8 mg GAE/100 g) showed the lowest value. The AA of basil (90.5% of %I) was significantly higher (3.3 to 5.6 times) than that of all other UFPs; the AA of beldroega and bertalha-coração (statistically equal) were the lowest. It is concluded that replacing basil with UFPs in pesto decreases the TPC by 3.1-4.8 times compared with traditional basil pesto and, consequently, the AA of the pesto sauces. However, the use of these species broadens the utilization of regional plants and may stimulate the creation of innovative products, encouraging sustainable eating practices and the appreciation of biodiversity.
References
ALBA, T. M.; PELEGRIN, C. M. G. d.; SOBOTTKA, A. M. Anredera cordifolia: medicinal, nutritional and invasive plant review. Rodriguésia, 71, p. e01042019, 2020.
ALBA, T. M.; TESSARO, E.; SOBOTTKA, A. M. Seasonal effect on phenolic content and antioxidant activity of young, mature and senescent leaves from Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis (Basellaceae). Brazilian Journal of Biology, 84, 2024.
AOAC. ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS – AOAC. Official methods of analysis. . 19. ed. Gaithersburg: AOAC International, 2012.
AUGUST, T. A.; PESCOTT, O. L.; JOLY, L. A.; BONNET, P. AI naturalists might hold the key to unlocking biodiversity data in social media imagery. Patterns 1, n. 100116, 2020.
BILAL, A.; JAHAN, N.; MAKBUL, S.; BILAL, S. N. et al. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Ocimum basilicum. Int J Curr Res Rev, 4, p. 73-83, 01/01 2012.
BRAND-WILLIAMS, W.; CUVELIER, M. E.; BERSET, C. Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 28, n. 1, p. 25-30, 1995/01/01/ 1995.
CONCEIÇÃO, L. S.; SILVA, L. C.; COQUEIRO, J. M.; COSTA, L. D. et al. Unconventional food plants in Brazil: knowledge and consumption analysis. Agroalimentaria. Agroalimentaria, 29, n. 57, p. 179-197, 2023.
DAMASCENA JÚNIOR, W. G.; DE ARAÚJO, C. R.; PEREIRA, J. R.; SEQUETTO, P. L. et al. Ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata) leaves as an alternative ingredient for pesto sauce: chemical, rheological and sensory evaluation. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 41, p. 101240, 2025/09/01/ 2025.
DE OLIVEIRA, I.; SALGADO, J. M. R. T.; LOPES, J. K.; CAROCHO, M. et al. Nutritional and Bioactive Characterization of Unconventional Food Plants for Sustainable Functional Applications. Sustainability, 17, n. 15, p. 6718, 2025.
DE SOUZA, T. C. L.; DA SILVEIRA, T. F. F.; RODRIGUES, M. I.; RUIZ, A. L. T. G. et al. A study of the bioactive potential of seven neglected and underutilized leaves consumed in Brazil. Food Chemistry, 364, n. 130350, 2021.
GARCIA, J. A. A.; CORRÊA, R. C. G.; BARROS, L.; PEREIRA, C. et al. Phytochemical profile and biological activities of 'Ora-pro-nobis' leaves (Pereskia aculeata Miller), an underexploited superfood from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Food Chemistry, 294, p. 302-308, 2019/10/01/ 2019.
GERVAISE, K. A. A., K. K. P.; Cherry, P. S.; Konan, Y.; Kouadio, B.; Adama, B.; Honora, T. B. F.; Witabouna, K. M. Assessment of the antioxidant capacity and total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of extracts from three plants used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms in Côte D'Ivoire. . International Journal of Biosciences, 25, n. 2, p. 154-162, 2024.
HAMID, S.; OUKIL, N. F.; MOUSSA, H.; DJIHAD, N. et al. Chemical and biological characterization of Ocimum basilicum L. phenolic extract and essential oil derived through ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction techniques. Food Bioscience, 60, p. 104359, 2024/08/01/ 2024.
KAYALI, I.; H., T.; AKKAWI, M.; YAGHMOUR, R. Investigations of the Palestinian medicinal plant basil (Ocimum basilicum): antioxidant, antimicrobial activities, and their phase behavior. Pharmacy & Pharmacology International Journal, 10, n. 3, p. 97-104, 2022.
KIRANMAYEE, B. R.; SIRISHA, G. V. D.; RACHEL, K.; J.H.A., V. Anjali. Structural characterization and evaluation of antioxidant activity of isolated phenolic compounds from Talinum fruticosum leaves. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 38, n. 2, p. 75-82, 2016.
MACIEL, V. B. V.; BEZERRA, R. Q.; CHAGAS, E. G. L. D.; YOSHIDA, C. M. P. et al. Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Miller): a potential alternative for iron supplementation and phytochemical compounds. . Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, 24, n. e2020180, 2021.
MILIÃO, G. L.; DE OLIVEIRA, A. P. H.; SOARES, L. d. S.; ARRUDA, T. R. et al. Unconventional food plants: Nutritional aspects and perspectives for industrial applications. Future Foods, 5, p. 100124, 2022/06/01/ 2022.
MUNTEANU, I. G.; APETREI, C. Analytical Methods Used in Determining Antioxidant Activity: A Review. Int J Mol Sci, 22, n. 7, Mar 25 2021.
NOGUEIRA SILVA, N. F.; SILVA, S. H.; BARON, D.; OLIVEIRA NEVES, I. C. et al. Pereskia aculeata Miller as a Novel Food Source: A Review. Foods, v.12, n. 11, DOI: 10.3390/foods12112092.
OBENG, E.; KPODO, F. M.; TETTEY, C. O.; ESSUMAN, E. K. et al. Antioxidant, total phenols and proximate constituents of four tropical leafy vegetables. Scientific African, 7, p. e00227, 2020/03/01/ 2020.
PRINSI, B.; MORGUTTI, S.; NEGRINI, N.; FAORO, F. et al. Insight into composition of bioactive phenolic compounds in leaves and flowers of green and purple basil. Plants 9, n. 1, p. 22, 2020.
QADIR, U.; PAUL, V. I.; GANESH, P. Preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro antibacterial activity of Anamirta cocculus (Linn.) seeds. Journal of King Saud University Science, 27, n. 2, p. 97-104, 2015.
RICE-EVANS, C. A.; MILLER, N. J.; PAGANGA, G. Structure-antioxidant activity relationships of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 20, n. 7, p. 933-956, 1996/01/01/ 1996.
SÁNCHEZ-RANGEL, J. C.; BENAVIDES, J.; HEREDIA, J. B.; CISNEROS-ZEVALLOS, L. et al. The Folin–Ciocalteu assay revisited: improvement of its specificity for total phenolic content determination. Analytical Methods, 5, n. 21, p. 5990-5999, 2013. 10.1039/C3AY41125G.
SANTOS-BUELGA, C.; GONZÁLEZ-PARAMÁS, A. M.; OLUDEMI, T.; AYUDA-DURÁN, B. et al. Chapter Four - Plant phenolics as functional food ingredients. In: FERREIRA, I. C. F. R. e BARROS, L. (Ed.). Advances in Food and Nutrition Research: Academic Press, 2019. v. 90, p. 183-257.
SINGLETON, V. L.; ROSSI, J. A. Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic–phosphotungstic acid reagents. . American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 16, p. 144-158, 1965.
SOUZA, L. F.; CAPUTO, L.; INCHAUSTI DE BARROS, I. B.; FRATIANNI, F. et al. Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) Leaves: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, v.17, n. 9, DOI: 10.3390/ijms17091478.
SRIVASTAVA, S.; CAHILL, D. M.; CONLAN, X. A.; ADHOLEYA, A. A Novel in Vitro Whole Plant System for Analysis of Polyphenolics and Their Antioxidant Potential in Cultivars of Ocimum basilicum. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 62, n. 41, p. 10064-10075, 2014/10/15 2014.
SUSANTI, H. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of binahong (Anredera cordifolia.). JKKI : Jurnal Kedokteran dan Kesehatan Indonesia, 10, n. 2, p. 171-175, 08/30 2019.
TANRIKULU, G. İ.; ERTÜRK, Ö.; YAVUZ, C.; CAN, Z. et al. Chemical Compositions, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of the Essential Oil and Extracts of Lamiaceae Family (Ocimum basilicum and Thymbra spicata) from Turkey. . International Journal of Secondary Metabolite, 4, n. 3, 2017.
TEOFILOVIĆ, B.; GRUJIĆ-LETIĆ, N.; KARADŽIĆ, M.; KOVAČEVIĆ, S. et al. Analysis of functional ingredients and composition of Ocimum basilicum. South African Journal of Botany, 141, p. 227-234, 2021/09/01/ 2021.
