Aneta Starzec

Ms. Aneta Starzec

Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicines, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 February 2023 in Antioxidants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ASAneta Starzec
Aneta Starzec
MWMaciej Wlodarczyk
Maciej Wlodarczyk
Dominika KunachowiczDominika Kunachowicz
Dominika Kunachowicz
ADAndrzej Dryś
Andrzej Dryś
MKMarta Kepinska
Marta Kepinska
IFIzabela Fecka
Izabela Fecka
The European Food Safety Authority recommends C. incanus as a natural source of antioxidants. Its activity is essentially determined by polyphenols, although specific compounds are not finally indicated. The available plant material comes from different subspecies and locations, which can lead to differences in chemical composition and potency. For this reason, we conducted a detailed analysis of the polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of 52 different C. incanus teas from Turkey, Albania, Greece, and unspecified regions. We focused special attention on ellagitannins, which have not been properly determined so far. Besides oxidative stress, hyperglycemia is an essential component of cardiometabolic diseases. Therefore, in subsequent experiments, we evaluated the ability of C. incanus extracts and individual polyphenols to inhibit α-glucosidase. Using statistical methods, we analyzed how differences in chemical composition affect activity. The results showed that C. incanus is a rich source of ellagitannins (2.5–19%), which dominate among polyphenols (5.5–23%). Turkish-origin products had higher ellagitannin content and a greater antioxidant effect (FRAP, ABTS) than Albanian and Greek products. In contrast, the flavonoid and phenolic acid contents and DPPH values were at similar levels in all products. An in-depth analysis of their composition indicated that all groups of polyphenols are involved in the antioxidant effect, but a significant contribution can be attributed to ellagitannins and flavonoids. C. incanus extracts showed a high capacity to inhibit α-glucosidase activity (IC50 125–145 μg/mL). Ellagitannins were the most effective inhibitors (IC50 0.7–1.1 μM), with a potency exceeding acarbose (3.3 mM). In conclusion, C. incanus, due to the presence of ellagitannins and flavonoids, exhibits powerful antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects.