Nutritional and Bioactive Characterization of Unconventional Food Plants for Sustainable Functional Applications

Izamara de Oliveira, José Miguel R. T. Salgado, João Krauspenhar Lopes, Marcio Carocho (), Tayse F. F. da Silveira, Vitor Augusto dos Santos Garcia, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Celestino Santos-Buelga, Lillian Barros and Sandrina A. Heleno
Additional contact information
Izamara de Oliveira: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
José Miguel R. T. Salgado: Instituto Politécnico de Guarda, Unidade Técnico-Científica de Ciências Exatas e Experimentais, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal
João Krauspenhar Lopes: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Marcio Carocho: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Tayse F. F. da Silveira: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Vitor Augusto dos Santos Garcia: Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
Ricardo C. Calhelha: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Celestino Santos-Buelga: Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Lillian Barros: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Sandrina A. Heleno: CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-32

Abstract: Unconventional food plants (UFPs) are increasingly valued for their nutritional composition and bioactive potential. This study proposes a comprehensive characterization of the chemical and bioactive properties of Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) (PA); Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott (Araceae) (XS); Stachys byzantina K. Koch (Lamiaceae) (SB); and inflorescences from three cultivars of Musa acuminata (Musaceae) var. Dwarf Cavendish, var. BRS Platina, and var. BRS Conquista (MAD, MAP, and MAC), including the assessment of physical, nutritional, phytochemical, and biological parameters. Notably, detailed phenolic profiles were established for these species, many of which are poorly documented in the literature. XS was characterized by a unique abundance of C-glycosylated flavones, especially apigenin and luteolin derivatives, rarely described for this species. SB exhibited high levels of phenylethanoid glycosides, particularly verbascoside and its isomers (up to 21.32 mg/g extract), while PA was rich in O-glycosylated flavonols such as quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin derivatives. Nutritionally, XS had the highest protein content (16.3 g/100 g dw), while SB showed remarkable dietary fiber content (59.8 g/100 g). Banana inflorescences presented high fiber (up to 66.5 g/100 g) and lipid levels (up to 7.35 g/100 g). Regarding bioactivity, PA showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (95.21%) and SB the highest reducing power in the FRAP assay (4085.90 µM TE/g). Cellular antioxidant activity exceeded 2000% in most samples, except for SB. Cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities were generally low, with only SB showing moderate effects against Caco-2 and AGS cell lines. SB and PA demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Yersinia enterocolitica , methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Enterococcus faecalis , with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.156 to 0.625 mg/mL. Linear discriminant analysis revealed distinctive chemical patterns among the species, with organic acids (e.g., oxalic up to 7.53 g/100 g) and fatty acids (e.g., linolenic acid up to 52.38%) as key discriminant variables. Overall, the study underscores the nutritional and functional relevance of these underutilized plants and contributes rare quantitative data to the scientific literature regarding their phenolic signatures.

Keywords: phenolic compounds; antioxidant capacity; antimicrobial activity; plant-based ingredients; functional foods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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