Assessment of Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Anticholinesterase and Microbial Virulence-Quenching Effects of Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor L.) Harvested from Algeria

Sanguisorba minor is a medicinal vegetable used in seasoning desserts, juices, and beverages. An evaluation of the total flavonoid, phenolic, tannin and anthocyanin contents indicated that these classes of compounds are distributed variably in the different fractions. In summary, the HPLC-DAD analyses enabled the identification and quantification of thirteen phenolic compounds in an ethyl acetate extract (EAE), nine in a dichloromethane extract (DCME), seven in an aqueous extract (AQE) and four in a butanol extract (BE). Rutin was the most abundant phenolic compound in the BE (278.4 ± 1.20 µg/g) and AQE (32.87 ± 0.23 µg/g) fractions, while apigenin was the most abundant in the DCME (84.75 ± 0.60 µg/g) and EAE (156.8 ± 0.95 µg/g) fractions. The presence of phenolic compounds in the fractions conferred good antioxidant capacity, especially the EAE and DCME fractions, which both exhibited higher antioxidant effects than BHA and α-tocopherol in DPPH• and CUPRAC assays. Additionally, in the ABTS•+ assay, EAE (IC50 = 9.27 ± 0.33 µg/mL) was more active than α-tocopherol (IC50 = 35.50 ± 0.55 µg/mL), and BHA (IC50 = 12.70 ± 0.10 µg/mL). At 200 µg/mL, the fractions inhibited acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase as well as α-amylase and α-glucosidase, indicating that they can slow neurodegeneration and hyperglycemia. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from 0.312 mg/mL to 1.25 mg/mL, and fractions showed good biofilm inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The extracts exhibited good violacein inhibition in Chromobacterium violaceum CV12472 and Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, despite the supply of external acyl-homoserine lactone to CV026. The antioxidant, quorum-sensing, antibiofilm and enzyme inhibition attributes indicate the potential for the application of S. minor as a food preservative.

A Comprehensive Review of Genus Sanguisorba: Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents and Medical Applications

Genus Sanguisorba (family: Rosaceae) comprises nearly 148 species, distributed widely across the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Sanguisorba officinalis L. (S. officinalis) has been used as a hemostatic and scald treating medicine in China for a long time. Numerous studies have demonstrated that plant extracts or monomers from S. officinalis exhibit several pharmacological effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-virus, anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects. The other species of genus Sanguisorba are also being studied by researchers worldwide. Sanguisorba minor Scop. (S. minor), as an edible wild plant, is a common ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, and its young shoots and leaves are often mixed with traditional vegetables and consumed as salad. Reports on genus Sanguisorba available in the current literature were collected from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, and PubMed. The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org./tpl1.1/search?q=Sanguisorba), International Plant Name Index (https://www.ipni.org/?q=Sanguisorba) and Kew Botanical Garden (http://powo.science.kew.org/) were used for obtaining the scientific names and information on the subspecies and cultivars. In recent years, several in vivo and in vitro experiments have been conducted to reveal the active components and effective monomers of S. officinalis and S. minor. To date, more than 270 compounds have been isolated and identified so far from the species belonging to genus Sanguisorba. Numerous reports on the chemical constituents, pharmacologic effects, and toxicity of genus Sanguisorba are available in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the current traditional applications of plants, which are supported by a large number of scientific experiments. Owing to these promising properties, this species is used in the treatment of various diseases, including influenza virus infection, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes and leukopenia caused by bone marrow suppression. Moreover, the rich contents and biological effects of S. officinalis and S. minor facilitate these applications in dietary supplements and cosmetics. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances in the traditional uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications of genus Sanguisorba. The present comprehensive review may provide new insights for the future research on genus Sanguisorba.

Bioactive properties of Sanguisorba minor L. cultivated in central Greece under different fertilization regimes

In this study, the chemical characterization and bioactive properties of S. minor cultivated under different fertilization rates (control, half rate and full rate) were evaluated. Twenty-two phenolic compounds were identified, including five phenolic acids, seven flavonoids and ten tannins. Hydrolysable tannins were prevalent, namely Sanguiin H-10, especially in leaves without fertilization (control). Roots of full-rate fertilizer (660 Kg/ha) presented the highest flavonoid content, mainly catechin and its isomers, whereas half-rate fertilizer (330 Kg/ha), presented the highest content of total phenolic compounds, due to the higher amount of ellagitannins (lambertianin C: 84 ± 1 mg/g of dry extract). Antimicrobial activities were also promising, especially against Salmonella typhimurium (MBC = 0.44 mg/mL). Moreover, root samples revealed activity against all tested cell lines regardless of fertilization rate, whereas leaves were effective only against HeLa cell line. In conclusion, S. minor could be a source of natural bioactive compounds, while fertilization could increase phenolic compounds content.