Characterization of phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of the leaves of the forgotten medicinal plant Balsamita major grown in Tuscany, Italy, during the growth cycle

Balsamita major (Asteraceae), known as costmary, is a medicinal plant rich of ethnobotanical interest in particular in Europe and Middle East, known and used since Greek and Roman times. The aim of the present study was to characterize the phenolic pattern of B. major leaves cultivated in Italy, and to measure the overall anti-radical (DPPH) and antioxidant activity (ORAC) during the growth cycle of the plant. Total polyphenols and total hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were abundant in the leaves collected at all the growth stages, only decreasing in the flowering stage; flavonoids reached the highest content in the very early growth stage. Chlorogenic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid resulted to be the main phenolic constituents in all the extracts; their concentrations were highest at the late and early growth stages, respectively. Glycosilated flavonoids were found to be the abundant in all the extracts and quercetin resulted the main flavonoid aglycone, with the highest content in the very early growth stage. Both DPPH and ORAC tests registered good antiradical and antioxidant properties for all the extracts. Thus, B. major is worthy of further investigation, being an interesting source of antioxidant compounds, for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic purposes.