Zeitschrift für Phytotherapie 2022; 43(S 01): S31
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1749251
Abstracts Poster | Phytotherapie 2022 – innovativ

Oxidation during fresh plants processing – A race against time

D Barmaverain
1   Ceres Heilmittel AG, 8593 Kesswil, Switzerland
,
S Hasler
1   Ceres Heilmittel AG, 8593 Kesswil, Switzerland
,
C Kalbermatten
1   Ceres Heilmittel AG, 8593 Kesswil, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
 

Introduction Processing of fresh plants and exposure to air during grinding can cause oxidative changes and lead to loss of valuable ingredients and deterioration of the final product. Oxidation is a major concern in food and cosmetic industries, however, few information is available in literature about its effect on the production of herbal medicines [1].

Aim Simulation of an oxidative process during fresh plants processing and evaluation of its impact on the characteristic of the final herbal mother tincture (MT).

Method An oxidative stress test was performed exposing cryogenically ground fresh plants to air in a time-controlled manner before extraction. The impact of oxidation on the resulting extracts was evaluated using UV-Vis spectroscopy and potassium permanganate antioxidant assay. Additionally, a tyrosinase enzymatic assay was performed on MTs to evaluate the behaviour of the absorbance spectra of phenolic compounds during oxidation.

Results A reduction of 10 to 56 % of the initial antioxidant activity was observed by air exposure of the fresh plant material. Five different fresh herbal drugs (Ginkgo biloba L., Hypericum perforatum L., Mentha × piperita L., Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, and Melissa officinalis L.) have been tested. This decrease was in correlation with a flattening of the typical UV-Vis absorption spectra of the MT.

Conclusion The impact of oxidation during MT manufacturing is a true issue and could be monitored by means of simple UV-Vis spectra recording. Careful fresh plant processing could avoid the loss of active ingredients and improve the quality of herbal remedies on the market.

Acknowledgements We’re thankful to Roger Kalbermatten for the theoretic foundation upon which this research project was built.



Publication History

Article published online:
13 June 2022

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  • References

  • 1 World Health Organization WHO guidelines on good herbal processing practices for herbal medicines. Geneva: WHO Technical Report Series; 2014
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