doi: 10.3390/molecules22010016

Published online 2016 Dec 26. 

Daniil N. Olennikov,^1,2,* Nina I. Kashchenko,^1,† and Nadezhda K. Chirikova^2,†

Derek J. McPhee, Academic Editor

Abstract

In recent years, the increased popularity of functional beverages such as herbal teas and decoctions has led to the search for new sources of raw materials that provide appropriate taste and functionality to consumers. The objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional, phytochemical profiles and bioactivities of possible functional beverages produced from F. ulmaria and its alternative substitutes (F. camtschatica, F. denudata, F. stepposa). The investigated decoctions were analyzed regarding their macronutrient, carbohydrate, organic acid, amino acid and mineral composition. Quantification of the main phenolic compounds in the decoctions of meadowsweet floral teas was performed by a microcolumn RP-HPLC-UV procedure; the highest content was revealed in F. stepposa tea. The investigation of the essential oil of four meadowsweet teas revealed the presence of 28 compounds, including simple phenols, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and aliphatic components. The dominance of methyl salicylate and salicylaldehyde was noted in all samples. Studies on the water soluble polysaccharides of Filipendula flowers allowed us to establish their general affiliation to galactans and/or arabinogalactans with an admixture of glucans of the starch type and galacturonans as minor components. The bioactivity data demonstrated a good ability of meadowsweet teas to inhibit amylase, α-glucosidase and AGE formation. Tea samples showed antioxidant properties by the DPPH^•, ABTS^•+ and Br^• free radicals scavenging assays and the carotene bleaching assay, caused by the presence of highly active ellagitannins. The anti-complement activity of the water-soluble polysaccharide fraction of meadowsweet teas indicated their possible immune-modulating properties. Filipendula beverage formulations can be expected to deliver beneficial effects due to their unique nutritional and phytochemical profiles. Potential applications as health-promoting functional products may be suggested.

Keywords: Filipendula camschatica, Filipendula denudata, Filipendula stepposa, Filipendula ulmaria, tannins, flavonoids, polysaccharides, essential oils, anti-diabetic activity, antioxidant activity, anti-complement activity

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1. Introduction

The food and beverage industry is growing solidly due to the increased demand of consumers. The business opportunity has attracted the herbal industry to penetrate the herbal-based food product market, and herbal-based products are becoming a widespread production trend among manufacturers [1]. From a global perspective and particularly with regards to products sold with a specific medical claim, Europe and Asia have been leading the way in terms of supplying herbal medicinal products [2]. Herbal teas are one type of herbal medicinal product. The term generally refers to any functional beverage made from an infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant materials in hot water. These beverages usually do not contain caffeine. The consumption of functional beverages has grown in popularity, primarily due to metabolism, immunity and oxidant status improving claims [3,4,5,6].

One of the most popular plant genera for herbal tea preparation is Filipendula [7]. This genus includes perennial herbaceous plants of the family Rosaceae that number about 30 species, commonly known as meadowsweets. These herbs are used due to the specific honey-like fragrance of the flowers and the pleasant taste of water decoctions [8]. Scientifically, the most studied species are F. ulmaria (L.) Maxim. and F. vulgaris Moench, which are officinal plant species in many countries. Researchers have found in these species derivatives of salicylic acid [9,10], 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid [11,12], flavonoids [13,14], tannins [15,16] and essential oils [17,18].

The growing demand for use of an officinal species, coupled with the simultaneous shortage of raw materials due to its low adaptability, agricultural peculiarities and unlimited gathering as a medicinal plant, necessitates scouting studies for the discovery of vicarious and chemically similar substitutes within the genus Filipendula [19,20]. Species F. denudata and F. stepposa relate to the same Ulmaria subgenus as F. ulmaria and species F. camtschatica belongs to the close subgenus Aceraria; accordingly, these plant species may be potential substitutes for the officinal species F. ulmaria. Until recently, the chemical composition of these species was not known. The presence of several compounds has been previously demonstrated for the genus Filipendula, such as dimeric and monomeric ellagitannins, in addition to flavonol-4′-O-glycosides [21]. Moreover, it is known that these plant species have a positive effect in diabetic diseases, illnesses of the immune system and may have possible antioxidant effects [22,23,24]. None of these aspects has been previously studied for the species F. camschatica, F. stepposa and F. denudata.

In this regard, the objective of this study was to comparatively investigate the nutritional composition (macronutrients, carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids and minerals), and phytochemical profiles (phenolics, essential oils, polysaccharides) and biological effects of four meadowsweet teas (F. camschatica, F. denudata, F. stepposa and F. ulmaria).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6155584/