Medicinal plants offer imperative sources of innovative chemical substances with important potential therapeutic effects. Among them, the members of the genus Inula have been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The present study investigated the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays) and the in vitro anti-hyperglycemic potential of aerial parts of Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton (I. viscosa) extracts through the inhibition of digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), responsible of the digestion of poly and oligosaccharides. The polyphenolic profile of the Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton EtOAc extract was also investigated using HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS analysis, whereas the volatile composition was elucidated by GC-MS. The chemical analysis resulted in the detection of twenty-one polyphenolic compounds, whereas the volatile profile highlighted the occurrence of forty-eight different compounds. Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton presented values as high as 87.2 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g and 78.6 ± 0.55mg CE/g, for gallic acid and catechin, respectively. The EtOAc extract exhibited the higher antioxidant activity compared to methanol and chloroform extracts in different tests with (IC₅₀ = 0.6 ± 0.03 µg/mL; IC₅₀ = 8.6 ± 0.08 µg/mL; 634.8 mg ± 1.45 AAE/g extract) in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP tests. Moreover, Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton leaves did show an important inhibitory effect against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. On the basis of the results achieved, such a species represents a promising traditional medicine, thanks to its remarkable content of functional bioactive compounds, thus opening new prospects for research and innovative phytopharmaceuticals developments.

Plant-based foods are characterized by significant amounts of bioactive molecules with desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition. The Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) family consists of 350 genera; among them, Brassica is the most important one, which includes some crops and species of great worldwide economic importance. In this work, the metabolite content of three different cultivars of Brassica juncea, namely ISCI Top, “Broad-leaf,” and ISCI 99, was determined using comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array and mass spectrometry detection. The analyses were carried out under reversed-phase conditions in both dimensions, using a combination of a 250-mm microbore cyano column and a 50-mm RP-Amide column in the first and second dimension (²D), respectively. A multi (three-step) segmented-in-fraction gradient for the ²D separation was advantageously investigated here for the first time, leading to the identification of 37 metabolites. In terms of resolving power, orthogonality values ranged from 62% to 69%, whereas the corrected peak capacity values were the highest for B. juncea ISCI Top (639), followed by B. juncea “Broad-leaf” (502). Regarding quantification, B. juncea cv. “Broad-leaf” presented the highest flavonoid content (1962.61 mg/kg) followed by B. juncea cv. ISCI Top (1002.03 mg/kg) and B. juncea cv. ISCI 99 (211.37 mg/kg).

Rhus coriaria L. (Anacardiaceae), commonly known as sumac, has been used since ancient times for many different applications, and nowadays is used mostly as a spice obtained from its in the Mediterranean and the Middle ground fruits and employed for flavoring and garnishing food, predominantly Eastern regions. Traditionally, sumac has been also used in popular medicine for the treatment of many ailments including hemorrhoids, wound healing, diarrhea, ulcers, and eye inflammation. Sumac drupes are indeed rich in various classes of phytochemicals including organic acids, flavonoids, tannins, and others, which are responsible of their powerful antioxidant capacity, from which treatment of many common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer could benefit. In this work we evaluated the influence of fruit ripeness, conservation, and processing. To this aim, a phytochemical characterization of six different samples of Rhus coriaria L. was carried out. Specifically, headspace solid-phase micro extraction gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and mass spectrometry detection, were employed. A total of 263 volatile compounds, including terpene hydrocarbons, acids, and aldehydes, as well as 83 polyphenolic compounds, mainly gallic acid derivatives, were positively identified. All samples showed a significant antioxidant activity by means of oxygen radical absorbance capacity, in line with their polyphenolic content and composition. Such findings set a solid ground to support the utilization of this plant as an attractive target for novel nutraceutical approaches and for drug discovery.

Indian mustard or Brassica juncea (B. juncea) is an oilseed plant used in many types of food (as mustard or IV range salad). It also has non-food uses (e.g., as green manure), and is a good model for phytoremediation of metals and pesticides. In recent years, it gained special attention due to its biological compounds and potential beneficial effects on human health. In this study, different tissues, namely leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of three accessions of B. juncea: ISCI 99 (Sample A), ISCI Top (Sample B), and “Broad-leaf” (Sample C) were analyzed by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS/MS. Most polyphenols identified were bound to sugars and phenolic acids. Among the three cultivars, Sample A flowers turned were the richest ones, and the most abundant bioactive identified was represented by Isorhamnetin 3,7-diglucoside (683.62 µg/100 mg dry weight (DW) in Sample A, 433.65 µg/100 mg DW in Sample B, and 644.43 µg/100 mg DW in Sample C). In addition, the most complex samples, viz. leaves were analyzed by GC-FID/MS. The major volatile constituents of B. juncea L. leaves extract in the three cultivars were benzenepropanenitrile (34.94% in Sample B, 8.16% in Sample A, 6.24% in Sample C), followed by benzofuranone (8.54% in Sample A, 6.32% in Sample C, 3.64% in Sample B), and phytone (3.77% in Sample B, 2.85% in Sample A, 1.01% in Sample C). The overall evaluation of different tissues from three B. juncea accessions, through chemical analysis of the volatile and non-volatile compounds, can be advantageously taken into consideration for future use as dietary supplements and nutraceuticals in food matrices.