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

Dupla diplomação com a UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáAs plantas são uma fonte considerável de produtos naturais, sendo frequentemente utilizadas pelo homem pelas suas capacidades aromáticas, medicinais e condimentares. Por este motivo, bem como devido à crescente procura de substâncias naturais, biologicamente ativas, tem vindo a aumentar o interesse na sua utilização. Considerando que um número crescente de consumidores associa produtos com ingredientes naturais a uma qualidade superior, também a indústria alimentar tem dado uma maior relevância à utilização de extratos de plantas, óleos essenciais e/ou seus componentes, como uma possível alternativa ao uso de aditivos alimentares sintéticos. Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch. é uma planta utilizada como condimento em diversas regiões da Europa, sendo ainda utilizada como ingrediente em temperos comerciais e conhecida em Portugal como a planta do knorr. No entanto, até à data, são escassos os estudos realizados sobre esta espécie. Assim, este trabalho teve por objetivo realizar uma avaliação detalhada e exaustiva sobre a sua composição e bioatividade, incidindo sobretudo na parte consumida como alimento (folhas e caules), mas também na raiz, usada em fitoterapia. A parte aérea, cultivada em Portugal, apresentou uma percentagem elevada de humidade, sendo os glúcidos o principal macronutriente. Verificou-se a predominância de ácidos gordos polinsaturados, em particular de ácido α-linolénico, e o α-tocoferol foi a principal isoforma da vitamina E nas folhas e caules. Em relação aos compostos fenólicos, foram identificados um total de 7 compostos, incluindo ácidos fenólicos e flavonoides, sendo o ácido 5-O-cafeoilquínico o predominante. Em relação aos compostos voláteis do óleo essencial foram identificados principalmente monoterpenos e ftalídas. Ambos os extratos (decocção e hidroalcoólico) apresentaram propriedades antioxidantes interessantes e, no geral, melhor atividade contra bactérias Gram-negativo. Apenas a decocção da apresentou atividade citotóxica contra a linha celular HepG2. Já nas as raízes, foram identificados 8 compostos fenólicos, sendo o ácido vanílico o maioritário, e diversos compostos voláteis, particularmente ftalídas. De uma forma geral, os extratos apresentaram atividade antioxidante e antimicrobiana, se bem que menor comparativamente à folha. O extrato de hexano foi capaz de inibir várias linhas celulares, apresentando contudo toxicidade face a células de fígado não tumorais (PLP2). Este estudo revelou que o levístico apresenta uma composição nutricional interessante sendo também uma fonte de diversos compostos bioativos.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-O-caffeoylquinic 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

Chemical and bioactive characterization of the aromatic plant Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch: a comprehensive study

Aromatic plants have been used since antiquity as seasoning ingredients to impart unique flavours to foods, and also as folk medicines, and are currently used as a source of several compounds of interest for different industries. Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.J.D. Koch) is an aromatic plant from the Apiaceae family with a strong flavour that has long been used in culinary products, in traditional medicine and by the food industry. Despite its significance and relevance, apart from its composition in volatile compounds, there is a scarcity of information about this plant species. To the best of our knowledge, this study documents for the first time the nutritional value and composition in fatty acids, organic acids and tocopherols of the edible aerial part of lovage, evidencing a low caloric value, a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly α-linolenic acid, oxalic acid as the most abundant organic acid and α-tocopherol as the most abundant vitamin E isoform. The essential oil was mainly characterised by the presence of monoterpenes, showing also a high abundance of phthalides. In addition, a total of 7 phenolic compounds were identified in the decoction and hydroethanolic extracts, which showed interesting antioxidant properties and bacteriostatic activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. Only the decoction showed cytotoxicity against a tumoral cell line (HepG2).The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019). A. Fernandes, L. Barros and R. C. Calhelha contracts were provided by National funding by FCT, P. I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract and C. Pereira contract through the celebration of program-contract foreseen in No. 4, 5 and 6 of article 23° of Decree-Law No. 57/ 2016, of 29th August, amended by Law No. 57/2017, of 19th July. This work was also funded by the FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch) roots: a source of bioactive compounds towards a circular economy

Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch) is an aromatic plant from the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family used as a condiment in several regions of Europe and also described to have medicinal properties. While the aerial parts are used as foods, the roots are generally discarded. In the past, lovage roots were used in folk medicine for their diuretic, carminative, and spasmolytic properties. Therefore, the exploitation of this undervalued part of the plant can be a source of valuable bioactive compounds for food and/or pharmaceutical industries. Thus, in this study, extracts of different polarity were prepared and studied regarding their chemical composition and bioactive properties. To the best of our knowledge, the composition in phenolic compounds and the volatile profile of the n-hexane extract are reported for the first time. A total of 24 compounds were identified by GC-MS in the n-hexane extract, evidencing a high relative abundance of phthalides. A total of eight phenolic compounds were identified in lovage root extracts (decoction and hydroethanolic extract), with vanillic acid being the major compound. Regarding antioxidant activity, also reported for the first time, decoction and hydroethanolic extract exhibited a high antioxidant capacity in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (179 ± 11 μg/mL) and in oxidative hemolysis (OxHLIA) assays (510 ± 6 μg/mL), respectively. n-Hexane extract showed relevant anti-proliferative activity against all tumor cell lines tested (GI50, 48-69 μg/mL), despite inhibiting also the growth of a non-tumoral hepatocyte cell line, however, presenting a significantly higher GI50 value (147 μg/mL). This study revealed that lovage root, an agri-food residue, can be a source of valuable bioactive compounds also presenting biological properties that deserve being explored, which could lead to a circular economy for food and/or the pharmaceutical industry.National funding by Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for A. Fernandes, L. Barros, and R. C. Calhelha contracts and C. Pereira contract though the celebration of program-contract foreseen in No. 4, 5, and 6 of article 23º of Decree-Law No. 57/2016, of 29th August, amended by Law No. 57/2017, of 19th July. This work was also funded by FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E and TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Volatile composition and bioactive properties of lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora Palau) essential oil: comparison of two extraction methods

Several aromatic plants and spices commonly used for food purposes due to their aromatic and flavoring characteristics have also played an important role in traditional medicine for their beneficial properties. Those are frequently associated to the essential oils (EOs) present in these plants, whose antimicrobial and antioxidant activities have been described in numerous studies [1]. These properties have gained prominence in recent decades since an increasing number of consumers are seeking for food products that include natural preservatives in substitution of synthetic additives. Additionally, EOs have been described as promising ingredients in active packaging towards the shelf-life extension of food products. Therefore, several studies have been conducted in the last years focusing on different aspects including on their applications (packaging materials, films, nanoemulsions, etc), on solving their applicability limitations (low solubility, organoleptic properties) but also on their characterization and novel extraction approaches. In this work, the essential oil of Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) well known for its antiseptic properties [2,3], was extracted by using two methods: Clevenger hydrodistillation and microwave assisted extraction (MAE). The extractions were carried out using the same sample and a ratio plant:water of 1:20. Hydrodistillation was performed in a 5L system for 3 hours according to the European Pharmacopoeia instructions. MAE extractions were performed on a NuWav-Uno microwave (NμTech, India), operating 15 min at 98 ºC and 600 W. The obtained EO was characterized for its chemical composition using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and for its bioactive potential regarding antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The analysis of volatile compounds was carried out on a GC-2010 Plus (Shimadzu) with AOC-20iPlus automatic injector (Shimadzu), and SH-RXi-5ms column (30 m x 0.25 mm x 0.25 μm; Shimadzu, USA), multi-resistant clinical bacterial strains were used to screen the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and the antioxidant activity was evaluated by two different methods, namely DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and Reducing Power. A slightly higher extraction yield of EO from lemon verbena leaves was obtained using MAE when compared to hydrodistillation method. The EOs extracted by the two methods showed the same qualitative profile, with a total of 71 compounds identified. However, some differences were observed in quantitative terms (relative % of individual compounds). Oxygen-containing monoterpenes was the main group (53.1% MAE vs 49.6% hydrodistillation) with the isomers geranial and neral being the major compounds. Monoterpene hydrocarbons group (6.8% MAE vs 6.9% hydrodistillation) was the only group that did not showed statistically significant differences (p>0.05) in the quantitative composition of the essential oil, contrary to the oxygen-containing monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes groups. Regarding the results of antioxidant activity, both Eos presented interesting antioxidant properties, showing values between 9.58 μg/mL (Clevenger) and 8.63 μg/mL (MAE) for DPPH and 1.88 μg/mL (Clevenger) and 2.04 μg/mL (MAE) for Reducing Power. In general, both Eos performed well against foodborne bacteria, inhibiting all tested gram-positive bacteria and 4 out of 5 gram-negative bacteria. Yersinia enterocolitica and Bacillus cereus were the most sensitive gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, both presenting a MIC of 0.07 %. By the contrary, no inhibition was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the maximum concentration tested (2.5%). Overall, MAE showed to be a promising alternative to the traditional hydrodistillation method being faster and thus spending less energy, at the same time allowing obtaining an EO richer in neral and genarial, which have been associated with interesting properties such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory [4,5].The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros contract; to ERDF, through the Incentive System to Research and Technological development, within the Portugal2020 Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program for the financial support to BIOMA (POCI_01_0247_FEDER_046112).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of the volatile profile of the essential oils extracted from the aerial parts and roots of lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch)

Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch.) is a perennial aromatic plant from the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family cultivated in several European countries. The aerial parts of this plant are used in culinary due to their strong taste like celery combined with parsley with a scent of aniseed and curry. The aroma and flavour of the aerial parts of the plant somehow remember some commercial condiments, therefore being commonly designated in Portugal as “planta do knorr” and in several countries as “Maggi plant”. 1 Although, currently, other aromatic herbs from the same family are much more used than lovage, this species was once much recognized, being considerably used either by the condiment’s industry 2 as well as by households in soups, stews, meat dishes, etc. The root of L. officinale has been known for centuries as a traditional medicine possessing carminative and spasmolytic activity 3 and is also known to contain essential oils in its composition. It has been described to present also a warm-spicy note, although not as intense as the leaves and seeds. In this work, the volatile profile of the essential oils extracted from edible aerial parts and roots of lovage were determined. Fresh aerial parts (leaves and stems) were commercially acquired in 2018 at Porto, Portugal, while the roots were obtained dried, being acquired from an herbal shop in Spain. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia. Because of the low yield obtained for the root’s oil, 2 mL of hexane were added to the distilled mixture of water/essential oil. The oil from the aerial parts was recovered directly without adding any solvent. Samples were analysed in a GC-2010 Plus (Shimadzu) gas chromatography system with a AOC-20iPlus automatic injector and a mass spectrometry detector. Separation was achieved on a SH- RXi-5ms column (30 m x 0.25 mm x 0.25 μm; Shimadzu, USA). Compounds identification was based on the NIST17 mass spectral library and in the linear retention index calculated based on the retention times obtained for a reference mixture of n-alkanes. Comparisons were also performed with published data and, when possible, with commercial standards. Quantification was performed as relative percentage of total volatiles using relative peak area values obtained directly from the total ion current (TIC) values. GC–MS analysis enabled the identification 99.1% of compounds, corresponding to a total of 44 identified compounds in the aerial parts, those belonging mainly to monoterpenes (74.0%) and phthalides (24.3%). α-Terpinyl acetate was found to be the major compound (33.6%), followed by p-cymene (20.5%), (Z)-ligustilide (22.2%), β-phellandrene (4.7%) and myrcene (4.2%). For the root’s a total of 60 compounds were identified, corresponding to a total of 88.4%, with the phthalides group being the major group (61.7%). Different phthalides were present, being (Z)-butylidenephthalide (29.0%) the major compound, followed by neocnidilide (8.9%) and (Z)-ligustilide (8.5%). Among the remaining compounds, the sesquiterpene alcohol spathulenol (6.3%) was the one in higher amounts. The obtained results evidence the presence of high amounts of phthalides in the essential oils of both botanical parts of lovage. Phthalides are believed to play a major role in the aroma of lovage. 3 Moreover, different biological properties, including antioxidant activity, antihyperglycemic activity, analgesic and neurological effects, have been ascribed to these compounds, in particular to (Z)-ligustilide, which can support the use of lovage, particularly the roots, use in traditional medicine.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019). L. Barros would like to thank the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluación nutricional y de la capacidade antioxidante de los hongos silvestres comestibles de Patagonia

Los hongos silvestres comestibles (HSC) constituyen un alimento funcional de fácil aprovechamiento. Su valor culinario y comercial se debe principalmente a sus propiedades organolépticas; cualidades nutricionales y a sus características medicinales. Los bosques de Nothofagus spp.; las plantaciones forestales (dominadas por Pinus y Pseudotsuga) y las praderas de la región Andino Patagónica albergan numerosas especies de hongos con potencial valor alimenticio. En este estudio se cosecharon 24 especies de HSC endémicos y cosmopolitas de Patagonia (pertenecientes a los géneros: Agaricus; Aleurodiscus; Cortinarius; Cyclocybe; Cyttaria; Fistulina; Flammulina; Grifola; Hydropus; Lactarius; Lepista; Leucoagaricus; Lycoperdon; Macrolepiota; Pleurotus; Ramaria; Rizhopogon y Suillus) para analizar su composición química y nutricional y su capacidad antioxidante. Los esporomas fueron liofilizados; molidos y extractados para analizar la composición proximal según métodos AOAC: grasas; carbohidratos; cenizas; proteínas y valor energético. Por otro lado, se realizó la identificación y cuantificación de los ácidos grasos; azúcares; ácidos orgánicos; compuestos fenólicos y ergosterol por diferentes técnicas cromatográficas. La actividad antioxidante de los extractos se evaluó mediante dos pruebas in vitro: el ensayo de inhibición de la peroxidación de lípidos (TBARS) y el ensayo de inhibición de la hemólisis oxidativa (OxHLIA). Los mayores valores de grasas se encontraron en A. vitellinus; C. magellanicus y G. gargal; de proteína en A. campestris y L. nuda; y de energía en C. hariotii; G. gargal y S. luteus. Los extractos más efectivos respecto a la capacidad antioxidante TBARS resultaron los de Ramaria. Disponer de información nutricional y nutracéutica sobre la diversidad natural de hongos comestibles patagónicos ayudará a incorporarlos en una alimentación funcional; que los elija como alimentos seguros; nutritivos y saludables; y a utilizarlos en una micogastronomía identitaria vinculada al desarrollo turístico.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of the composition in organic acids, vitamin E and phenolic compounds of lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch) roots

Since ancient times, several aromatic plants and spices have been used worldwide in traditional medicine, in addition to its common usage for food purposes. Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch) is an aromatic plant from the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family used as a condiment in several regions of Europe, being also described to have medicinal properties. In particular, lovage roots are described as possessing carminative and spasmolytic activity.1 According to the assessment report of the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) of the European Medicines Agency on Levisticum officinale Koch, radix, this root is known as a medicine since ancient times in Greece, nowadays being authorized as a traditional herbal medicine in several countries of the European Union.2 This report also includes information regarding lovage root chemical composition, referring the presence of different phthalides, coumarines, phenylpropanoids (chlorogenic, caffeic and ferulic acids) and polyacetylenes (falcarindol and falcarinol). Apart from this information, the scientific literature reports mainly the chemical composition of the essential oil of lovage root, with no information being available regarding other bioactive compounds. Therefore, to address this gap, in this work, the organic acids, vitamin E and phenolic compounds of lovage roots were determined. Dried lovage roots were acquired from an herbal shop in Spain. Organic acids were determined by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with a diode-array detector (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan) in the lyophilized sample, which was extracted using a methodology previously described and optimized.3 Tocopherols were determined in the lyophilized sample using a HPLC system coupled to a fluorescence detector as previously described.4 Phenolic compounds were analysed in two different extracts, namely hydroethanolic and decoction, after those being re-dissolved in ethanol/water (80:20, v/v) and water, respectively, to a concentration of 5 mg/mL. The compounds were evaluated using a Dionex Ultimate 3000 UPLC equipped with a quaternary pump and a diode array coupled in-series to an electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detector (LC-DAD-ESI/MSn) operating as previously described.5 The obtained results showed the presence of 3 organic acids in lovage root, namely oxalic (2.23±0.02 g/100 g d.w.), malic (1.48±0.04 g/100 g d.w.) and fumaric (0.007±0.001 g/100 g d.w.) and two tocopherols, α-tocopherol (0.83±0.03 mg/100 g d.w.) and γ -tocopherol (0.48±0.03 g/100 g d.w.). Regarding phenolic compounds’ composition, a total of 9 compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, were identified and quantified, with vanilic acid being the predominant one in both types of extracts. Comparatively to the hydroethanolic extract, the decoction allowed the extraction of a significantly higher amount of total phenolic compounds (24,3±0,5 mg/g extract versus 3.07±0.04 mg/g extract). To our knowledge, this study represents the first report on the organic acids, vitamin E isoforms and phenolic compounds composition in lovage roots.The authors are grateful to FCT, Portugal and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019); FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. L. Barros thanks the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of biological activity and optimization of lavender essential oil extraction (Lavandula angustifolia L.)

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are an important source of natural products, which have gained importance as alternatives in the prevention and treatment of diseases, besides being used as raw material for various industries [1]. Lavandula angustifolia L. is one of the most famous aromatic and medicinal plants [2]. Due to its composition, the essential oil of L. angustifolia is reported to have analgesic, sedative, antiseptic, diuretic, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties [3]. In this sense, the lavender essential oil was obtained by two different methodologies, conventional hydrodistillation by clevenger apparatus according to the European Pharmacopoeia, and non-conventional, microwave-assisted hydrodistillation, in which an experimental design was carried out to optimize the process. The optimal point was obtained by a Response Surface Methodology (RSM), using three variables, namely, Time (minutes),Temperature (ºC), and Power (W) to obtain high contents of linalool and linalool acetate, for which biological activities, such as antimicrobial, have been described. The oils obtained were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, verifying the predominance of oxygenated monoterpenes (79.5-86.4%), with linalool (30.2-29.99%) and linalool acetate (25.6-37.7%) as the main compounds. Antioxidant activity was evaluated through three in vitro methodologies, namely reducing power (RP), 2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA). Furthermore, cytotoxicity activity was evaluated by the sulforhodamine B method, and antimicrobial activity was tested by the microdilution method.The results obtained show that lavender essential oil exhibits an excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, with particularly interesting results for fungistatic activity. Among the obtained essential oils, the microwave extracts rich in linalool and the extract obtained by clevenger hydrodistillation showed the best results for DPPH and PR assays, while no significant differences were obtained for the cellular antioxidant activity assay and anti-inflammatory activity. The extract obtained by clevenger showed better performance in antimicrobial activity. The oils showed cytotoxic activity for liver cells at the maximum concentration tested, and no toxicity was observed for the concentrations presenting anti-inflammatory activity.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional and individual scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros, R.C. Calhelha and Rafael Mascoloti Spréa (2020.08092.BD). S.A. Heleno thanks FCT for her individual employment program–contract (CEECIND/03040/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Terpenes

Terpenes are the largest and most diverse group of naturally occurring compounds found in plants. They can be classified according to the number of isoprene units, the most common being monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), diterpenes (C20), and triterpenes (C30). Besides being the principal constituents of essential oils and playing fundamental roles in plants, many terpenes are extensively used in pharmaceutical and industrial applications ranging from flavours to fragrances and medicines. Several studies have already demonstrated the diversity of terpenes’ biological properties, including cancer chemopreventive effects, antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiparasitic, and other activities. This chapter compiles the various terpenes isolated from plants, their sources, biological activities and beneficial health effects, mechanism of action, extraction and applications, and the future perspective for using the terpenes as lead molecules in several areas of the industry.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L. Barros thank the national funding by FCT through the institutional scientific employment programme-contract for their contract, while S. A. Heleno thank FCT through the individual scientific employment programme-contracts (CEECIND/03040/2017). R. Sprea also thank to FCT for his Ph.D. grant (2020.08092.BD).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutritional composition and bioactive properties of wild edible mushrooms from native nothofagus patagonian forests

Nothofagus forests of the Andean Patagonian region are home to numerous wild edible mushroom (WEM) species with interesting organoleptic characteristics, although many of them have unknown nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. The proximal composition, fatty and organic acids, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, ergosterol, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 17 WEMs were analyzed. Carbohydrates, the most abundant macronutrients, varied between 49.00 g/100 g dw (C. magellanicus) and 89.70 g/100 g dw (F. antarctica). Significantly higher values were found for total fat in G. gargal (5.90 g/100 g dw) followed by A. vitellinus (4.70 g/100 g dw); for crude protein in L. perlatum (36.60 g/100 g dw) followed by L. nuda (30.30 g/100 g dw); and for energy in G. gargal (398 Kcal/100g) and C. hariotii (392 Kcal/100g). The most effective extracts regarding the TBARS antioxidant capacity were those of Ramaria. This is the first time that a study was carried out on the chemical composition of G. sordulenta, C. xiphidipus, F. pumiliae, and L. perlatum. The promotion of sustainable use of WEMs, including their incorporation in functional diets that choose WEMs as nutritious, safe, and healthy foods, and their use in an identity mycogastronomy linked to tourism development, requires the detailed and precise nutritional and nutraceutical information of each species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio