Antioxidant and Bioactive Potential of Rheum ribes L. Flowers: A Comprehensive Study on Secondary Metabolites and Volatile Compounds

Abstract

Many antioxidants and therapeutic properties of Rheum ribes L., a rich medicinal plant in Türkiye, have been studied. However, little attention has been given to the compounds present in the flowers of Rheum ribes L.. The aim of this research was to comprehensively assess the antioxidant activity, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds present in the flowers of Rheum ribes L.. The total phenolic content, total flavonols, total flavonoids, DPPH and ABTS values of the Rheum ribes L. flowers were 19.94 mg GAE/g, 1.09 mg QE/g, 7.31 mg QE/g, 15.89 mM TEAC/g and 5.05 mM TEAC/g, respectively. Very high amounts of rutin and gallic acid were found as secondary metabolites. High levels of heptacosane (31.81%), 17-pentatriacontene (15.05%), octatriacontyl pentafluoropropionate (8.33%), and oleic acid (7.75%) were idetified as volatile components. Briefly, this study investigated the identification of key secondary metabolites, such as rutin and gallic acid, as well as volatile components, highlighting the potential for discovering new bioactive compounds that could contribute to the development of natural herbal medicines.

Keywords

• Rheum ribes L. flowers
• Bioactive compounds
• Secondary metabolites and volatile compounds

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