Articles
Chemical characterisation of wild Agave americana L.: preliminary screening for beverage applications
Article number
1466_33
Pages
273 – 280
Language
English
Abstract
Agave americana L. (Asparagaceae) is native to Mexico and naturalised in other regions including Africa and Asia.
Local communities used Agave as part of their traditional medicine.
Modern-day use of Agave includes tequila and mezcal illustrating their beverage potential, especially for non-alcoholic drinks.
In South Africa, the Agave genus has been explored for health and general well-being.
Hence, the study characterised A. americana using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF-MS) to identify its bioactive compounds and nutritional composition.
We collected the plant from the North West Province in South Africa.
The leaves were dried and ground into powder, followed by a methanolic extraction.
The extract was separated on a UPLC-qTOF-MS data acquired over an m/z range of 100-1500. Forty-four compounds were identified, and the dominant classes were glycosides, saponins and flavonoids.
The presence of the presence of selected mineral (potassium and calcium), beta-carotene, vitamin E and combination of phytocompounds make A. americana an ideal candidate for plant-derived functional food and beverage development.
The results provided preliminary data for the potential development of fermented drinks, functional food and beverages.
Further bioactivity tests and product development studies are on-going.
Local communities used Agave as part of their traditional medicine.
Modern-day use of Agave includes tequila and mezcal illustrating their beverage potential, especially for non-alcoholic drinks.
In South Africa, the Agave genus has been explored for health and general well-being.
Hence, the study characterised A. americana using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF-MS) to identify its bioactive compounds and nutritional composition.
We collected the plant from the North West Province in South Africa.
The leaves were dried and ground into powder, followed by a methanolic extraction.
The extract was separated on a UPLC-qTOF-MS data acquired over an m/z range of 100-1500. Forty-four compounds were identified, and the dominant classes were glycosides, saponins and flavonoids.
The presence of the presence of selected mineral (potassium and calcium), beta-carotene, vitamin E and combination of phytocompounds make A. americana an ideal candidate for plant-derived functional food and beverage development.
The results provided preliminary data for the potential development of fermented drinks, functional food and beverages.
Further bioactivity tests and product development studies are on-going.
Publication
Authors
M. Lekhooa, M.B. Mabotja, N.A. Masondo, D. Dou, A.O. Aremu
Keywords
bioactive compounds, functional food, plant-based beverages, nutraceutical
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