TITLE
SUPERFOODS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS - SOURCE OF SUGARS, INULIN AND LOW-MOLECULAR FRUCTANS
AUTHOR(S)
Nadezhda Petkova1, Dobromira Yaneva1*, Ivanka Hambarlyiska1, Dragomir Vassilev2
ABSTRACT
Superfoods are a rich source of nutrient foods (such as vitamins, minerals, fiber), and other beneficial compounds that can promote overall health and potentially reduce the risk of disease. Therefore, the aim of the current investigation was to evaluate some superfoods and medicinal plants as a potential source of sugars and inulin. The selected plants were considered as superfoods and supplied as food supplemants: the root powder flours from shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), suma (Pfaffia paniculata), maca (Lepidium meyenii), Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), costus (Saussurea lappa), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), while the leaves and roots from Siberian wild echinacea, and flowering heads of cotton thistle were medicinal plants. The superfoods and medicial plants were commercially available. The water extracts were obtained from the plant materials by ultrasound-assisted extraction. The extracts were analysed for the content of total fructans by resorcinol based spectrophotometric method. Inulin and sugars content were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection. Inulin was detected in the root powder of shatavari,
suma, costus, as well as in leaves and roots of Siberian wild echinacea and flowering heads of cotton thistle. Inulin was detected in the root powder of shatavari, suma, costus, as well as in leaves and roots of Siberian wild echinacea and flowering heads of cotton thistle. Shatavari root powder was evaluated as the richest source of fructans, as inulin content reached up to 29.7 g/100g dw. Inulin in suma, costus and cotton thistle were between 2.9 to 1.35 g/100 g dw. Siberian ginseng, ashvaganda and maca roots did not contain fructans only sugars, as maca root powder demonstrated the highest values of sucrose – 18 g/100 g. The current study revealed the nutritional potential of some superfoods and medicinal plants to be used as a source of dietary fibers, especially flour of shatavari roots.
DOI
How to cite this article:
Nadezhda Petkova1, Dobromira Yaneva1*, Ivanka Hambarlyiska1, Dragomir Vassilev2, SUPERFOODS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS - SOURCE OF SUGARS, INULIN AND LOW-MOLECULAR FRUCTANS, UNITECH – SELECTED PAPERS - 2025