Planta Med 2023; 89(14): 1295
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1773867
Abstracts
Tuesday 4th July 2023 | Short Lecture Session D
Phytopharmacology/Phytotherapy

Short Lecture "Nutritional and phytotherapeutical value of the invasive Carpobrotus edulis: Seasonal and spatial variability"

Catarina G. Pereira
1   CCMAR – Algarve Centre Of Marine Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, Faro, Portugal
,
Nuno Neng
2   Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
3   Laboratório de Ciências Forenses e Psicológicas Egas Moniz, Molecular Pathology and Forensic Biochemistry Laboratory, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, Campus Universitário, Quinta da Granja, Caparica, Portugal
,
Professor José Nogueira
2   Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal
,
Luísa Custódio
1   CCMAR – Algarve Centre Of Marine Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, Faro, Portugal
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    Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E.Br. (Aizoaceae) is a South African native plant inhabiting coastal areas worldwide, being considered a problematic invasive species. Mechanical removal to control this invasive plant leaves the removed plant material available as source of valuable natural phytochemicals with prospective commercial applications. The present work establishes a comparative analysis of nutritional, chemical, and bioactivity profiling of C. edulis aerial parts from three different locations of southern Portugal, throughout four seasons. Proximate and mineral compositions were assessed, along with phenolic composition, and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The halophyte’s nutritional composition varied significantly between seasons and locations, with potentially more impact on variability from location rather than season, and representing a good supply of carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals. C. edulis extracts presented high levels total phenolics, with higher levels in spring and summer, the most abundant compounds detected being luteolin-7-Ο-glucoside, salicylic and coumaric acids. Extracts were also effective antioxidants, particularly stronger in spring for radical scavenging activity, and showed moderate anti- inflammatory properties. Overall, this invasive plant’s usually discarded material may be appraised as a proper nutritional source with prospective biotechnological applications mainly in the food and pharma/nutraceutical industries as an ingredient for value-added, functional, and/or preservative food products.

    Funding This research received Portuguese national funds from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology (projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020, LA/P/0101/2020, and PTDC/BAA-AGR/1391/2020) and Operational Programmes CRESC Algarve 2020 and COMPETE 2020 (project EMBRC.PT ALG-01-0145- FEDER-022121). L.C. was supported by FCT Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND/00425/2017).


     

    Conflict of Interest

    The authors declare no conflict of interest.

    Publication History

    Article published online:
    16 November 2023

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