Unconventional food leaves as alternatives for pesto sauce production: phenolic content and antioxidant activity

Unconventional Food Plants (UFPs) have gained attention for their nutritional and functional potential, as well as for representing a sustainable and accessible alternative that values biodiversity and the use of regional ingredients. This study investigated the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of fresh leaves from three UFPs: bertalha-coração (Anredera cordifolia), beldroega (Talinum fruticosum), and ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata), compared to fresh leaves from basil (Ocimum basilicum), as promising alternatives for the production of pesto sauce. Phenolic compounds were extracted from the leaves with metanol. The TPC and the AA (%Inhibition, or %I) of the extracts were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the DPPH free radical assay, respectively. Experiments were performed in triplicate. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test (α = 5%). The TPC of basil (174.9 mg GAE/100 g) was significantly (p<0,05) higher (3.1 to 4.8 times) than the TPC of all other UFPs; Beldroega (36.8 mg GAE/100 g) showed the lowest value. The AA of basil (90.5% of %I) was significantly higher (3.3 to 5.6 times) than that of all other UFPs; the AA of beldroega and bertalha-coração (statistically equal) were the lowest. It is concluded that replacing basil with UFPs in pesto decreases the TPC by 3.1-4.8 times compared with traditional basil pesto and, consequently, the AA of the pesto sauces. However, the use of these species broadens the utilization of regional plants and may stimulate the creation of innovative products, encouraging sustainable eating practices and the appreciation of biodiversity.