European Journal of Medicinal Plants 28(3): 1-13, 2019; Article no.EJMP.49979 ISSN: 2231-0894, NLM ID: 101583475 Nutritional, Spectral and Thermal Characteristic of Lamiaceae Seeds Pravin Kumar Sahu1, Suryakant Chakradhari1, Khageshwar Singh Patel2*, Jesús Martín-Gil3, Erick K. Towett4 and Pablo Martín-Ramos5 1School of Studies in Environmental Science, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur-492010, India. 2School of Studies in Chemistry and Environmental Science, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur-492010, India. 3ETSIIAA, Universidad de Valladolid, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34004, Palencia, Spain. 4World Agroforestry Centre, P.O.Box 30677, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. 5Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, EPS, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, Carretera de Cuarte, s/n, 22071 Huesca, Spain. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Authors PKS and SC collected and prepared the seed and soil samples for the analyses and analyzed the polyphenol, oil and starch contents. Author KSP designed the study and coordinated the analyses and paper writing. Author EKT determined the mineral content of the seeds and soils by XRF. Authors JMG and PMR collected and interpreted the FTIR spectra and thermograms. Authors KSP and PMR wrote the original draft. Author PMR took care of the Ms. revision. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/EJMP/2019/v28i330133 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Daniela Rigano Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, University Federico II of Naples, Italy. (2) Dr. Marcello Iriti, Professor, Plant Biology and Pathology, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Milan State University, Italy. Reviewers: (1) Ana Maria Arambarri La, Plata National University, Argentina. (2) Daniela Benedec, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania. (3) Mohini Chetan Kuchekar, Pune University, India. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/49979 Received 02 May 2019 Accepted 10 July 2019 Case Study Published 17 July 2019 ABSTRACT Aims: Species of the family Lamiaceae possess a rich tradition of use for flavoring and medicinal purposes. This paper focusses on the nutritional and thermal characteristics of the seeds from eight species belonging to this family: Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm., Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit., Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R.Br., Ocimum americanum L., Ocimum sanctum L. (Rama Tulsi), Ocimum _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Sahu et al.; EJMP, 28(3): 1-13, 2019; Article no.EJMP.49979 tenuiflorum L. (Krishna Tulsi), Origanum vulgare L. and Tectona grandis L.f. Methodology: The oil, starch, total polyphenol, flavonoid and mineral contents for aforementioned seeds were determined. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to assess the phytoconstituents. Thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric analyses (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses were performed to analyze the decomposition patterns. Results: The concentrations of oil, starch, total polyphenol, flavonoids and minerals for the seeds from the eight plants under study ranged from 11.8 to 50.4%, from 0.22 to 1.84%, from 295 to 5842 mg/kg, from 1660 to 12680 mg/kg and from 11756 to 33927 mg/kg, respectively. Unsaturated oils, polyphenols and lignin were recognized by vibrational spectroscopy. The sequence of thermal effects in the seed pyrolysis process above 100°C have been put in relation to seed protein crystallization (endotherm at 200°C), oxidation reactions and degradation of hemicellulose and other fiber components (at around 300°C), and decomposition of polyunsaturated (at 357°C) and mono-unsaturated (at 391°C) triglycerides. Conclusion: Lamiaceae seeds are potential food alternatives to cereals. Keywords: Lamiaceae; seeds; fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; thermal analysis; chemical compounds; mineral composition. 1. INTRODUCTION 10,11,12,13]. The chemistry and uses of G. arborea and H. suaveolens seed oils have been The Lamiaceae or Labiatae (Clade: Angiosperms reported [14,15], but most of the characteristics / Eudicots / Asterids. Order: Lamiales) are a of Lamiaceae seeds from Indian origin remain family of flowering plants comprising about 200 undescribed. The purpose of this paper is to genera and 3,200 species, commonly with report the nutritional and mineral contents, and aromatic, herbage, quadrangular stems, and the thermal behaviour of the seeds from the eight verticillate inflorescences. They are widely selected species. cultivated for medicinal, perfumery, culinary and ornamental purposes [1]. Members of this family 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS are a source of strong aromatic essential oils, tannins, saponins and organic acids [2,3]. Eight 2.1 Sample Collection Lamiaceae plants with a widespread distribution in central India, viz. Gmelina arborea Roxb., Seeds from the eight Lamiaceae plants (viz. G. Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit, Leonotis nepetifolia arborea (GA), T. grandis (TG), H. suaveolens (L.) R.Br., Ocimum americanum L., Ocimum (HS), L. nepetifolia (LN), O. americanum (OA), sanctum L., Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Origanum O. sanctum (OS), O. tenuiflorum (OT) and O. vulgare L., and Tectona grandis L.f., are studied vulgare (OV) under study were collected in the herein. Gmelina arborea (Malay bush-beech) and Raipur city area, India (21.25°N 81.63°E), and T. grandis (Bangkok teak) are large deciduous were authenticated by a plant taxonomist and by trees harvested for local use as a wood, food and using a standard monograph [16]. The ripening medicine purposes and as a source of oils [4,5]. periods of TG, HS and LN; OA, OS, OT and OV; Hyptis suaveolens (pignut) is a strong-scented and GA were October-November, December and herb considered to be stimulant, carminative, May, respectively. Their leaves and fruits were endorific and lactagogue, which grows as a weed collected in the relevant period together with over large areas in barrel land in the rainy near-surface soil samples in year, 2017. season. Leonotis nepetifolia (Christmas candlestick) is an annual short-lived perennial plant, often found in road, canal and riversides in 2.2 Sample Preparation the rainy season. Ocimum americanum L., O. sanctum L. (Rama Tulsi, light holy basil), O. The seeds were manually separated from the tenuiflorum L. (Krishna Tulsi, dark holy basil), fruits. All samples were sun-dried for one week in and Origanum vulgare are perennial and a glass room, and further dried in an oven at aromatic plants, used in treatments of various 50°C overnight. Subsequently, they were crushed diseases [6,7]. These plants have shown into fine powder and sieved out particles of mesh promising properties as functional foods, in pain size, ≤100 m. They were stored in the glass therapy and as bactericides and fungicides [8,9, bottle and preserved in the refrigerator at -4°C. 2 Sahu et al.; EJMP, 28(3): 1-13, 2019; Article no.EJMP.49979 2.3 Analyses the elemental analysis of the seed samples. Four standard reference materials, brown and white The pH value of the soil was determined by cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] seeds, keeping a 5 g sample in a 100 mL conical flask cowpea and mango (Mangifera indica L.), leaves with deionized water (15 mL) overnight. The pH with reference values from ICP-OES and MS value of the decanted solution was measured (As, Mo and Se in mg/kg) after Aqua Regia (HCl: with a Hanna Instruments (Woonsocket, RI, HNO3, 4:1) digestion were used for validation of USA) pH meter. The moisture content of the the pXRF results. A standard soil sample (NCS seeds was determined by drying the seeds at DC 73382 CRM) was used for as a reference for 105°C in an air oven for 6 h period to the the soil analyses. analysis, and mean values were determined. All -1 characterization results are presented on a dry The vibrational spectrum in the 400 to 4000 cm weight (dw) basis. range was characterized using a Thermo Scientific (Waltham, MA, USA) Nicolet iS50 FTIR The oil content in the seeds was determined by spectrometer, equipped with an in-built diamond extraction from a 5 g powdered sample (kernel of attenuated total reflection (ATR) system, with a 1 GA and TG, and whole seed of HS, LN, OA, OS, cm-1 spectral resolution and by averaging 64 OT and OV) in n-hexane (25 mL), as described scans. in the literature [17]. The oil content was presented as a percentage on the basis of the Thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric dry weight (dw) of the seeds. analyses (TG/DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses were conducted with Analytical reagent (AR) grade sodium maleate a Perkin-Elmer (Waltham, MA, USA) STA6000 (CAS 371-47-1) buffer, sodium acetate (CAS simultaneous thermal analyzer by heating the 127-09-3) buffer, potassium hydroxide (CAS samples in a slow stream of N2 (20 mL/min) from 1310-58-3), amyl glucosidase (CAS 9032-08-0), room temperature up to 800°C, at a heating rate pancreatic-α-amylase (MDL MFCD00081319) of 20°C/min. Pyris v.11 software was used for were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, and glucose data analysis. oxidase–peroxidase was purchased from Megazyme International Ireland Ltd. The starch 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION content of seeds was determined by the enzymatic method [18]. 3.1 Seeds Physical Characteristics Analytical grade Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (MDL MFCD00132625),