Improved extraction of phenolic compounds from fruits, leaves, and stems of Ugni candollei B. and Ugni molinae T. using pressurized aqueous glycerol

This study explores the polyphenolic composition and antioxidant potential of fruits, leaves, and stems from two Chilean murta species: Ugni molinae Turcz (red murta) and Ugni candollei Barm (white murta). While the fruits have been previously studied, limited information exists on the phytochemical content of leaves and, in particular, stems, representing a significant knowledge gap. To address this, polyphenols were extracted using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with an aqueous glycerol mixture and compared to conventional maceration with aqueous acetone. Spectrophotometric analysis showed that leaves yielded the highest extractable polyphenols (EPP; up to 131 mg GAE/g dried extract) via PLE, followed by stems and fruits. Antioxidant capacity, evaluated by DPPH and ORAC assays, was strongly correlated with EPP (Spearman coefficients: 0.870 and 0.818), with red murta leaf extracts exhibiting 90 % and 65 % higher antioxidant capacity than stems and fruits, respectively. UHPLC-ESI-MS-QTOF identified 37 phenolic compounds with organ-specific distribution: flavonols and anthocyanins in fruits, myricetin and tannins (corilagin) in leaves, and catechin and dihydroflavonols in stems. Notably, murta stems previously uncharacterized proved to be valuable sources of unique polyphenols that complement those found in fruits and leaves. PLE significantly improved the extraction of certain bioactive compounds from leaves and stems (e.g., quinic acid 71 %, gallic acid 33 %, catechin 13 %), while conventional maceration was more effective for selected fruit compounds (e.g., quercetin-3-O-glucuronide 37 %). These findings expand the phytochemical knowledge of Ugni spp. and support the valorization of underutilized plant parts as functional ingredients for food and nutraceutical applications.

Lugar de Publicación

Netherlands

Citación

Innovative food science and emerging technologies, Vol. 110 (2026) p. 1-8.

Palabras clave

Antioxidants, Corilagin, Myricetin, Pressurized liquid extraction, Murta

Licencia

Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 Chile (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 CL)

Licencia URL

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/cl/

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