What is it about?
This study examined the phytochemical composition and biological properties of wastewaters generated during the hydrodistillation of five Lamiaceae species used for essential oil production. Using HPLC‑DAD and HPLC‑ESI/MS, the authors identified 37 phenolic compounds, with rosmarinic acid being particularly abundant. The biological activity of these distillation wastewaters (DWWs) was assessed through in vitro antioxidant assays—free radical scavenging, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and superoxide dismutase‑mimetic activity. Anti‑inflammatory effects were evaluated using an intestinal inflammation model, where all samples displayed measurable protective activity.
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Why is it important?
Essential oil production generates large volumes of aqueous residues that are often discarded despite containing high levels of water‑soluble bioactive compounds. Demonstrating that these DWWs are rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory activities highlights their potential value as sources of natural compounds relevant to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food sectors. The activity observed in an intestinal inflammation model suggests that these agro‑industrial byproducts may contain phytochemicals with relevance for gut health and inflammatory processes—areas of growing interest in preventive nutrition and natural product pharmacology.
Perspectives
Further work is needed to characterize non‑phenolic constituents of these residues and to understand how the full phytocomplex contributes to biological activity. The current data come from in vitro assays; therefore, more detailed mechanistic studies and in vivo approaches would be required to assess bioavailability, metabolism, and effective doses. Valorizing distillation wastewaters could add environmental and economic value to the aromatic plant supply chain by converting an underused residue into a bioactive resource.
Prof. Antonio Speciale
University of Messina
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrodistillation Wastewaters from Five Lamiaceae Species, Molecules, November 2022, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217427.
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