Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Profile of Eight Wild Edible Plants Grown in Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

Abstract

In this study, the antioxidant activities, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and phenolic compounds in the leaves of wild edible plants, grown in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey were investigated. Antioxidant activities were measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azine-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, while phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The plants included Lactuca serriola L. (bitter lettuce), Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme), Sinapis arvensis L. (mustard), Malva neglecta L. (hibiscus), Amaranthus retroflexus L. (redroot pigweed), Tragopogon longirostris bisch (goat’s beard), Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), and Chenopodium album (baconweed or lamb’s quarters). Phenolic acids, including gallic acid, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ellagic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and flavonoids including catechin, apigenin, naringin, rutin and quercetin amounts in plant leaves were determined. All plants showed antioxidant properties but Tragopogon longirostis bisch, Sinapis arvensis L., and Thymus vulgaris L. had higher antioxidant activity than the rest. The highest TPC (2.69 mg/g) belonged to Tragopogon longirostis bisch, and the highest TFC (1.84mg/g) belonged to Amaranthus retroflexus. Amaranthus retroflexus L. had the highest gallic acid and vanillic acid levels. Malva neglecta L. had the highest ferulic, chlorogenic, ellagic, and cinnamic acid contents. Tragopogon longirostris bisch had the highest p-coumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid levels. It was observed that Malva neglecta L. had the highest catechin, apigenin, and quercetin contents while Thymus vulgaris L. had the highest naringin and rutin levels. These results suggested these leaves could be consumed as the sources of natural antioxidants in human diet. © 2025 Sidas Medya A.S.. All rights reserved.