Volatile and lipid analyses by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and nutraceutical potential of edible wild Malva aegyptiaca L. (Malvaceae)

Abstract

Volatile and lipid chemical compositions, and nutritional and antioxidant properties of Malva aegyptiaca, an edible wild plant largely distributed in North Africa, were investigated. Forty-nine compounds of volatiles were identified showing large qualitative and quantitative differences during three phenological stages. The flowering stage was characterized by the presence of a high number of terpenic compounds, among them dillapiole was found to be the major one (55.15%). The nutrient composition of leaves and fruits was investigated in the present work. Fruits' lipidic fraction was characterized by its high level of linoleic acid (n-6) (36.17%). Interestingly, leaves' lipidic fraction was characterized by its very high content of camphor (43.69%) and by its relatively high content of linoleinic acid (n-3) (14.69%). Furthermore, our results showed that the phenolic contents varied from 352 to 404 mg gallic acid equivalent/g ethanolic and acetonic extracts, respectively. These extracts revealed interesting antioxidant activities including free radical scavenging activity (EC₅₀ = 0.38–0.57 mg/ml) and reducing power (EC₅₀ = 0.12–0.18 mg/ml).

Keywords::

• Malava aegyptiaca
• wild edible
• volatiles
• nutrients
• lipids
• antioxidant

Declarations of interest: The authors are very grateful to Dr Nabil Miled and Dr Yassine Ben Ali (ENIS, Tunisia) and to Dr Adel Dhief (IRA, Tunisia) for their fruitful discussions and pertinent comments. Thanks are due to Dr Khaled Jebahi for his kind help with the English. There were no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence this work.