Invasive Plant Species Biomass—Evaluation of Functional Value

Invasive plant species (IAS), with their numerous negative ecological, health, and economic impacts, represent one of the greatest conservation challenges in the world. Reducing the negative impacts and potentially exploiting the biomass of these plant species can significantly contribute to sustainable management, protect biodiversity, and create a healthy environment. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional potential, phytochemical status, and antioxidant capacity of nine alien invasive plant species: Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthus retroflexus, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Datura stramonium, Erigeron annuus, Galinsoga ciliata, Reynoutria japonica, Solidago gigantea, and Sorghum halepense. Multivariate statistical methods such as cluster and PCA were performed to determine possible connections and correlations among selected IAS depending on the phytochemical content. According to the obtained results, R. japonica was notable with the highest content of vitamin C (38.46 mg/100 g FW); while E. annuus (1365.92 mg GAE/100 g FW) showed the highest values of total polyphenolic compounds. A. retroflexus was characterized by the highest content of total chlorophylls (0.26 mg/g) and antioxidant capacity (2221.97 µmol TE/kg). Therefore, it can be concluded that the selected IAS represent nutrient-rich plant material with significant potential for the recovering of bioactive compounds.     

Identification and quantification of lignans in wheat bran by gas chromatography-electron capture detection

Whole grain cereals are an important source of bioavailable lignans, the group of compounds with potential anti-cancerogenic, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and antiangiogenic properties. The aim of this work was to develop a sensitive method for determination of wheat bran lignans. The analysis of lignans secoisolariciresinol, hydroxymatairesinol, lariciresinol, matairesinol, pinoresinol, syringaresinol is based on derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) and gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD), using styrene glycol as internal standard. To our knowledge, this is the first time that EC detection has been used for lignan analysis. The results show that the technique is reproducible and sensitive enough for detecting lignans in wheat at parts-per-billion (ppb) levels, except for hydroxymatairesinol. The method developed showed good recovery (85-105%) and precision (4-20%) for five types of lignans and thus represents a simpler and more affordable alternative to state-of-the-art wheat lignan liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis.