Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Borago officinalis L. flower: a comprehensive study on bioactive compounds and its health-promoting properties

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The herbal plant Borago officinalis L. flower were analysed for its bioactive compounds and antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities using different solvent polarities (methanol, ethanol and water). The RP-HPLC analyses of the methanolic extract confirmed the presence of phenolics (gallic acid, pyrogallol, salicylic acid, caffeic acid), flavonoids (myricetin, rutin) and isoflavonoid (daidzein). Besides, the major individual fatty acids of methanolic extract were α-linolenic, stearidonic, palmitic, linoleic and γ-linolenic acids. The methanolic extract possessed the highest antioxidant properties as compared to the ethanolic and water extracts. The flower methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts showed high, moderate and weak antibacterial activities against common human and foodborne pathogenic bacteria, respectively. Furthermore, the flower extracts showed weak anti-inflammatory in murine RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and low anticancer properties against human hepatic, prostate and colon cancer cells. This high-value flower could be considered as a source of putative antioxidant and antibacterial compounds to improve the human health and to be used as biopreservative in food and cosmetic industries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G.P.P. Lima, F. Vianello, C.R. Correa, R.A.S. Campos, M.G. Borguini, Polyphenols in fruits and vegetables and its effect on human health. Food Nutr. Sci. 5, 1065–1082 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. A.L. Hale, L. Reddivari, M.N. Nzaramba, J.B. Bamberg, J.C. Miller Jr., Interspecific variability for antioxidant activity and phenolic content among solanum species. Am. J. Potato Res. 85, 332–341 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. E. Karimi, H. Jaafar, A. Ghasemzadeh, M. Ebrahimi, Fatty acid composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the microwave aqueous extract of three varieties of Labisia pumila Benth. Biol. Res. 48(9), 1–6 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  4. A. Oskoueian, R.S. Haghihi, M. Ebrahimi, W.Z. Saad, A.R. Omar, Y.W. Ho, Bioactive compounds, antioxidants, tyrosinase inhibition, xanthine oxidase inhibition, anticholinesterase and antiinflammatory activities of Prunus mahaleb L. Seed. J. Med. Plants Res. 6(2), 225–233 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  5. K.R. Narazana, M.S. Reddy, M.R. Chaluvadi, D.R. Krishna, Broflavonoids classification, pharmacological, biochemical effects and therapeutic potential. Indian J. Pharmacol. 33, 2–16 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  6. E. Karimi, H.Z.E. Jaafar, S. Ahmad, Antifungal, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity activities of three varieties of labisia pumila benth: from microwave obtained extracts. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 13(20), 1–10 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  7. E. Oskoueian, N. Abdullah, S. Ahmad, E. Oskouein, Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of methanolic extracts from Jatropha curcas Linn. J. Med. Plants Res. 5(1), 49–57 (2011)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. G. Duthie, A. Crozier, Plant-derived phenolic antioxidants. Curr. Opin. Lipidol. 11, 43–47 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. J. Moline, I.F. Bukharovich, M.S. Wolff, R. Phillips, Dietary flavonoids and hypertension: is there a link? Med. Hypotheses 55, 306–309 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. R.L. Prior, X. Wu, K. Schaich, Standardized methods for the determination of antioxidant capacity and phenolics in foods and dietary supplements. J. Agric. Food Chem. 53, 4290–4302 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. J.M.C. Brunet, G.S. Cetkovic, S.M. Djilas, V.T. Tumbas, S.S. Savatovie, A.I. Mandie, S.L. Markov, D.D. Cvetkovic, Radical scavenging and antimicrobial activity of horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. Int. J. Food Sci. Technol. 44, 269–278 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. M. Asadi-Samani, M. Bahmani, M. Rafieian-Kopaei, The chemical composition, botanical characteristic and biological activities of Borago officinalis: a review. Asian Pac. J. Trop. Med. 7, S22–S28 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. A. Ratz-Łyko, A. Herman, J. Arct, K. Pytkowska, Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Oenothera biennis, Borago officinalis, and Nigella sativa seedcake extracts. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 23(4), 1029–1036 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. G. Oboh, A.O. Ademosun, Comparative studies on the ability of crude polyphenols from some Nigerian citrus peels to prevent lipid peroxidation in vitro. Asian J. Biochem. 1(2), 169–177 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. M.D. Lozano-Baena, I. Tasset, A. Muñoz-Serrano, Á Alonso-Moraga, A. Haro-Bailón, Cancer prevention and health benefices of traditionally consumed Borago officinalis plants. Nutrients 8(1), 48 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. A. Crozier, E. Jensen, M.E.J. Lean, M.S. McDonald, Quantitative analysis of flavonoids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. J. Chromatogr. A 761, 315–321 (1997)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. I. Gulcin, I. Gungor Sat, S. Beydemir, M. Elmastas, O. Irfan Kufrevioglu, Comparison of antioxidant activity of clove (Eugenia caryophylata Thunb) buds and lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.). Food Chem. 87, 393–400 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. R. Hendra, S. Ahmad, E. Oskoueian, A. Sukari, M.Y. Shukor, Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity of Phaleria macrocarpa (Boerl.) Scheff fruit. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 11, 1–11 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. H.I. Ismail, K.W. Chan, A.A. Mariod, M. Ismail, Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of cantaloupe (cucumis melo) methanolic extracts. Food Chem. 119, 643–647 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. J. Folch, M. Lees, G.H.A. Sloane, Stanely, Simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  21. M. Ebrahimi, M.A. Rajion, Y.M. Goh, Effects of oils rich in linoleic and α-linolenic acids on fatty acid profile and gene expression in goat meat. Nutrients 6(9), 3913–3928 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. G.C. Yen, P.D. Duh, Scavenging effect methanolic extracts of peanut hulls on free-radical and active oxygen species. J. Agri. Food Chem. 42, 629–632 (1994)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. P.J. Tsai, T.H. Tsai, C.H. Yu, S.C. Ho, Comparison of NO-scavenging and NO suppressing activities of different herbal teas with those of green tea. Food Chem. 103, 181–187 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. G.C. Yen, H.Y. Chen, Antioxidant activity of various tea extracts in relation to their antimutagenicity. J. Agri. Food Chem. 43, 27–32 (1995)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. O. Boussaada, J. Chriaa, R. Nabli, S. Ammar, D. Saidana, M.A. Mahjoub, I. Chraeif, A.N. Helal, Z. Mighri, Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of methanol extracts of Evax pygmaea (Asteraceae) growing wild in Tunisia. World J. Microb. Biotechnol. 24, 1289–1296 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. R. Ahmad, A.M. Ali, D.A. Israf, N.H. Ismail, K. Shaari, N.H. Lajis, Antioxidant, radical-scavenging, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of methanolic extracts of some Hedyotis species. Life Sci. 76, 1953–1964 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. E. Karimi, E. Oskoueian, R. Hendra, H.Z.E. Jaafar, Evaluation of Crocus sativus L. stigma phenolic and flavonoid compounds and its antioxidant activity. Molecules 15, 6244–6256 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. E.A. Hayouni, M. Abedrabba, M. Bouix, M. Hamdi, The effects of solvents and extraction method on the phenolic contents and biological activities in vitro of Tunisian Quercuscoccifera L. and Juniperus phoenicea L. fruit extracts. Food Chem. 105, 1126–1134 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. R. Zadernowskia, M. Naczkb, H. Nowak-Polakowska, Phenolic acids of borage (Borago officinalis L.) and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.). ‎J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 79, 335–338 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. B. Mhamdi, W.W. Aidi, T. Chahed, R. Ksouri, B. Marzouk, Phenolic compounds and antiradical scavenging activity changes during borago officinalis stalk leaf development. Asian J. Chem. 22, 6397–6402 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  31. H. Zemmouria, S. Ammarc, A. Boumendjel, M. Messarahb, A. Fekid, M. Bouazizc, Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of borago officinalis L. leaf extract growing in Algeria. Arab. J. Chem. 1, 10 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  32. S.A. Pilerood, J. Prakash, Evaluation of nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of Borage (Echium amoenum) and Valerian (Valerian officinalis). Int. J. Food Sci. Technol. 51(5), 845–854 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. M. Wettasinghe, F. Shahidi, R. Amarowicz, M.M. Abou-Zaid, Phenolic acids in defatted seeds of Borage (Borago officinalis L.). Food Chem. 75, 49–56 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. N.F. Ramandi, N.M. Najafi, F. Raofie, E. Ghasemi, Central composite design for the optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction of fatty acids from Borago officinalis L. Flower. J. Food Sci. 76(9), C1262–C1266 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. B. Mhamdi, W.A. Wannes, S. Bourgou, B. Marzouk, Biochemical characterization of borage (Borago officinalis L.) seeds. J. Food Biochem. 33(3), 331–341 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. V. Katalinic, M. Milos, T. Kulisic, M. Jukic, Screening of 70 medicinal plant extracts for antioxidant capacity and total phenols. Food Chem. 94, 550–557 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. W. Brand-Williams, M.E. Cuvelier, C. Berset, Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity. Food Sci. Technol. 28(1), 25–30 (1995)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. M. Wettasinghe, F. Shahidi, Antioxidant and free radical-scavenging properties of ethanolic extracts of defatted Borage (Borago officinalis L.) Seeds. Food Chem. 67(4), 399–414 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. D. Bandonien, M. Murkovic, The detection of radical scavenging compounds in crude extract of borage (Borago officinalis L.) by using an on-line HPLC-DPPH method. J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods 53.1, 45–49 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. F.J. Segoviaa, E. Luengob, J.J. Corral-Péreza, J. Rasob, M. Pilar Almajano, Improvements in the aqueous extraction of polyphenols from Borage (Borago officinalis L.) leaves by pulsed electric fields: pulsed electric fields (PEF) applications. Ind. Crops Prod. 65, 390–396 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. N.F. Crum-Cianflone, Salmonellosis and the gastrointestinal tract: more than just peanut butter. Curr. Gastroenterol. Rep. 10, 424–431 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. S. Healy, S. Cooney, C. O’Brien, P. Iversen, J. Whyte, J.J. Nally Callanan, S. Fanning, Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii): an opportunistic foodborne pathogen. Foodborne Pathog. Dis. 7, 339–350 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. B. Swaminathan, P. Gerner-Smidt, The epidemiology of human listeriosis. Microbes Infect. 9, 1236–1243 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. C.L. Wilson, G.G. Droby, Microbial food contamination (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2007)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  45. E. Ceylan, D.Y.C. Fung, Antimicrobial activity of spices. J. Rapid Methods Autom. Microbiol. 12, 1–55 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. I. Ahmad, Z. Mehmood, F. Mohammad, Screening of some Indian medicinal plants for their antimicrobial properties. J. Ethnopharmacol. 62, 183–193 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. M. Abolhassani, Antibacterial effect of Borage (Echium amoenum) on Staphylococcus aureus. Braz. J. Infect. Dis. 8(5), 382–385 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. A. Scalbert, Antimicrobial properties of tannins. Phytochemistry 30, 3875–3883 (1991)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. M.M. Cowan, Plants products as antimicrobial agents. ‎Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 12, 564–582 (1999)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. T.P.T. Cushnie, A.J. Lamb, Antimicrobial activity of flavonoids. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 26, 343–356 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. P.C. Hsieh, J.L. Mau, S.H. Huang, Antimicrobial effect of various combinations of plant extracts. Food Microbiol. 18, 35–43 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. A.I. Nazer, A. Kobilinsky, J.L. Tholozana, F. Dubois-Brissonneta, Combinations of food antimicrobials at low levels to inhibit the growth of Salmonella sv. Typhimurium: a synergistic effect? Food Micobiol. 22, 391–398 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. J. Aliakbarlu, H. Tajik, Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of various extracts of borago officinalis flowers. J. Food Process. Preserv. 36, 539–544 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. A. Miceli, N. Francesca, G. Moschetti, L. Settanni, The influence of addition of Borago officinalis with antibacterial activity on the sensory quality of fresh pasta. Int. J. Gastron. Food Sci. 2(2), 93–97 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. O. Kim, A. Murakami, Y. Nakamura, H. Ohigashi, Screening of edible Japanese plants for nitric oxide generation inhibitory activities in RAW 264.7 cells. Cancer Lett. 125, 199–207 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Y. Zou, S.K.C. Chang, Effect of black soybean extract on the suppression of the proliferation of human AGS gastric cancer cells via the induction of apoptosis. J. Agri. Food Chem. 59, 4597–4605 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. J. Boik, Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy, vol. 1 (Oregon Medical Press, Princeton, 2001), p. 520

    Google Scholar 

  58. I. Borrás-Linares, S. Fernández-Arroyo, D. Arráez-Roman, P.A. Palmeros-Suárez, R.Del Val-Díaz, I. Andrade-Gonzáles, A. Fernández-Gutiérrez, J.F. Gómez-Leyva, A. Segura-Carretero, Characterization of phenolic compounds, anthocyanidin, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 25 varieties of Mexican Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Ind. Crops Prod. 69, 385–394 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Y. Deng, Y. Zhao, O. Padilla-Zakour, G. Yang, Polyphenols, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of leaf and bark extracts of Solidago canadensis L. Ind. Crops Prod. 74, 803–809 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. L. Tomás-Menor, A. Morales-Soto, E. Barrajón-Catalán, C. Roldán-Segura, A. Segura-Carretero, V. Micol, Correlation between the antibacterial activity and the composition of extracts derived from various spanish cistus species. Food Chem. Toxicol. 55, 313–322 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. X. Zhanga, P. Shanga, F. Qin, Q. Zhoua, B. Gaoa, H. Huangb, H. Yanga, H. Shi, L.L. Yua, Chemical composition and antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of ten commercial mung bean samples. LWT-Food Sci. Technol. 54(1), 171–178 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. N. Simina, D. Orcica, D. Cetojevic-Siminb, N. Mimica-Dukica, G. Anackovc, I. Bearaa, D. Mitic-Culaficd, B. Bozine, Phenolic profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of small yellow onion (Allium flavum L. subsp. Flavum, Alliaceae). LWT-Food Sci. Technol. 54(1), 139–146 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

    Ehsan Karimi

  2. Mashhad Branch, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Mashhad, Iran

    Ehsan Oskoueian

  3. Quality Department of Nutricia, Mashhad Milk Powder Industrial, Mashhad, Iran

    Afshin Karimi

  4. Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran

    Reza Noura

  5. Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Mahdi Ebrahimi

  6. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Mahdi Ebrahimi

Authors
  1. Ehsan Karimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ehsan Oskoueian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Afshin Karimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Reza Noura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mahdi Ebrahimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ehsan Karimi or Ehsan Oskoueian.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Karimi, E., Oskoueian, E., Karimi, A. et al. Borago officinalis L. flower: a comprehensive study on bioactive compounds and its health-promoting properties. Food Measure 12, 826–838 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-017-9697-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-017-9697-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation