engleski

Role of medicinal plants in sustainable development

Plants rich in natural antioxidants with a high content of biologically interesting polyphenols can make good basis for development of sustainable agriculture in ecologically clean areas. Many of these antioxidant-rich plants are found among non-attractive species, often treated as weed and suppressed in the favour of agricultural „ more useful“ species. Acknowledging the value of these plants regarding their possible use in nutritional or pharmaceutical purposes would definitely contribute to their conservation. This is an especially favourable approach in protected areas such as nature parks, where management must be directed towards sustainable use of natural resources, from which the local people and the nature will benefit in the long term. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of selected medicinal plants from the Mediterranean part of Croatia. Plant extracts were analyzed for their total flavonoid and phenolic contents, and their antioxidant capacities. Due to exceptional interest in polyphenols from stilbene family because of antioxidative, cardioprotective and antitumor effect of resveratrol, the ratio of this monomer and its derivatives was analysed by HPLC-RP. The obtained results show that ethanolic extracts of ten selected plants or plant parts contain biologically active polyphenols, therefore showing good antioxidant properties. Among plants comprised in this work, resveratrol or its derivatives were detected in Fragariae folium, Salviae folium, Teucrii montani herba and Menthae folium extracts. Protected areas, representing ecologically most clean areas can be excellent sources of medicinal plants because of the low rate of environmental pollution, which assures the best quality of plant material.

medicinal plants; stilbenes; sustainable development

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