Parzhanova, A.; Yanakieva, V.; Vasileva, I.; Momchilova, M.; Dimitrov, D.; Ivanova, P.; Tumbarski, Y. Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Medicinal Plants from the Western Part of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Life2023, 13, 2237.
Parzhanova, A.; Yanakieva, V.; Vasileva, I.; Momchilova, M.; Dimitrov, D.; Ivanova, P.; Tumbarski, Y. Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Medicinal Plants from the Western Part of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Life 2023, 13, 2237.
Parzhanova, A.; Yanakieva, V.; Vasileva, I.; Momchilova, M.; Dimitrov, D.; Ivanova, P.; Tumbarski, Y. Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Medicinal Plants from the Western Part of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Life2023, 13, 2237.
Parzhanova, A.; Yanakieva, V.; Vasileva, I.; Momchilova, M.; Dimitrov, D.; Ivanova, P.; Tumbarski, Y. Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Medicinal Plants from the Western Part of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Life 2023, 13, 2237.
Abstract
In the present study, the physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of three medicinal plants - thyme, cotton thistle and hawthorn fruit from the Western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria were investigated. In the first stage, the physicochemical characteristics (moisture, ash, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamin C) of the three herbs were determined. In the second stage, four types of extracts (aqueous, oil, methanolic and ethanolic) from them were prepared and the total phenolic content, presence of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), antioxidant activity and their antimicrobial properties were determined. Thyme was characterized by the highest ash, proteins and vitamin C contents. The hawthorn fruit was characterized by the highest moisture and carbohydrate contents. The 70% ethanolic extracts of the three herbs exhibited the highest levels of phenolics and consequently a pronounced antioxidant activity, compared to the other three types of extracts. The flavonoid quercetin-3-ß-glucoside was in highest concentration in the thyme and hawthorn fruit, while myricetin dominated in the cotton thistle. The phenolic acid content analysis showed a prevalence of rosmaric acid in thyme, whereas chlorogenic acid was detected in highest concentration in hawthorn fruit and cotton thistle. High antimicrobial potential of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts was observed.
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