Agricultural wastes as possible sources of bioactive compounds

The use of agricultural residues to obtain polyphenolic compounds is of great scientific interest, since such residues are considered an abundant, biorenewable and low-cost resource. Numerous polyphenolic compounds derived from agricultural residues have shown potential pharmacological properties, and therefore could be used as agents for the prevention and treatment of numerous human diseases.

The characteristics of polyphenolic compounds that make them attractive for study are that they originate from the secondary metabolism of plants and microorganisms. These secondary metabolites are chemical compounds that plants produce naturally and their main function is to defend them from pathogens (microorganisms), or even herbivores. These compounds have been shown to have beneficial effects on human health, which are mainly attributed to their antioxidant and anti-radical properties, which can delay, hinder or inhibit the oxidation of DNA, proteins and lipids.

The interest in learning about these compounds led Erica Danisa Spinnenhirn, a student of the Chemical and Biochemical Sciences Faculty program at the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste in Argentina, to access a Scholarship to Encourage Scientific Vocations from the National Interuniversity Council. Under the title of “Experimental and theoretical comparative study on the relationship structure and antioxidant activity of polyphenolic compounds” the research will be directed by Dr. Margarita M. Vallejos and co-directed by Dr. María Victoria Traffano Schiffo.

From left to right, Margarita M. Vallejos, Erica Spinnenhirn and María Victoria Traffano Schiffo. (Photo: Juan Monzón Gramajo / National University of the Northeast / Argentina Investiga)

The Applied Chemistry Research Group (GIQAp) of the Basic and Applied Chemistry Institute (IQUIBA-NEA) investigates the potential of legume pods grown in Northeast Argentina, considered agricultural waste, as potential sources of bioactive compounds.

“To date we have found that the extracts from the pods of Vigna unguiculata, Cajanus cajans and Mucuna pruriens have high concentrations of polyphenol compounds with good antioxidant activity,” Dr. Vallejos told Argentina Investiga.

With this project, this line of research will be deepened to generate knowledge that “allows for a better understanding of the structural factors of polyphenolic compounds detected in legume pods from Northeast Argentina, which affect their antioxidant activity.”

For this, the structure-antioxidant capacity relationship of the aforementioned polyphenolic compounds will be investigated, using experimental techniques and computational tools.

antioxidant capacity

An antioxidant can be defined as any substance that, in low concentrations compared to oxidizable molecules, such as biomolecules, slows or prevents their oxidation.

In particular, polyphenolic compounds are metabolites synthesized (elaborated) by plants in their different parts (fruits, leaves, branches, roots, etc.) that are characterized by having in their structure at least one aromatic ring, to which one or more is attached. plus hydroxyl (OH) groups. Numerous studies have supported the biological properties of polyphenolic compounds, which are mainly a consequence of their antioxidant properties.

The presence of antioxidants in food is essential, not only because they activate the natural organoleptic properties, preserving them, but also because when ingested they protect the health of those who consume it in a broad and effective way, preventing the development of serious diseases, as well as neurodegenerative processes.

“Synthetic antioxidants have been widely studied and used due to their low cost and high efficiency; however, recent research has reported that such antioxidants can be harmful to health. On the contrary, natural antioxidants have low toxicity, and their study and use have attracted attention in recent decades,” concluded Dr. Vallejos. (Source: Juan Monzón Gramajo / National University of the Northeast / Argentina Investiga)