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Evaluation of the nutraceutical potential of medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family: HPLC profiling, antioxidant capacity and sensory acceptability

Owing to their wide traditional use and extensive scientific research the use of medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family has gained more popularity in recent years, however the exact bioactive composition and its effect on the sensory properties of infusions, the most frequently used way of consuming these plants, has not yet been clarified. The purpose of this study was to evolve a tool for an efficient assessment of the bioactive potential and sensory acceptability of medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family, using an array of analytical methods and sensory evaluation. The bioactive composition of water extracts of four medicinal plants was evaluated in terms of their contents of fibers, polyphenolic profile and antioxidant properties by using spectrophotometric methods and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was estimated by the ABTS and DPPH radical cation decolorization assays. A comparative study of 8 attributes regarded as bioactive quality parameters (the contents of total phenols, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, tannins, cellulose, soluble polysaccharides and antioxidant capacity) of the examined medicinal plants revealed peppermint as the dominant medicinal species of the Lamiaceae family. A regular serving of a herbal infusion of peppermint (1 cup equivalent to 2g of plant material in 200 mL of water) provides 189.8 mg gallic acid equivalents of total phenols and is the dominant source of hydroxycinnamic acids (especially rosmarinic acid) and soluble polysaccharides (3.11 mg). Among other medicinal plants, lemon balm is characterized with the highest content of flavonoids (107.6 mg per serving) and flavan-3-ols (2 mg per serving) and thyme of cellulose (28% per dry weight of plant material). Lavender was the dominant source of tannins (27.4 mg per serving), which was in correspondence with the highest bitterness and astringency intensity perceived by the sensory panel for that herbal species. Thyme infusion was preferred by the sensory panel, mostly due to its mildly sweet and refreshing flavour attributes. Considerable correlation among the bioactive and sensory parameters of evaluated medicinal plants indicates that the bioactive composition may also affect the sensory properties of medicinal plants.

Antioxidant capacity; Medicinal plants; Polyphenols; Polysaccharides; Sensory properties

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