Copper complexing properties and physico-chemical characterisation of the organic matter in Greek herbal infusions

Sotirios Karavoltsos; Marta Plavšić; Nick Kalogeropoulos; Dimitra A A Kogiannou; Slađana Strmečki; Aikaterini Sakellari; Manos Dassenakis; Michael Scoullos

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.03.080

Copper complexing properties and physico-chemical characterisation of the organic matter in Greek herbal infusions

Food Chem. 2014 Oct 1:160:53-60. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.03.080. Epub 2014 Mar 24.

Authors

Sotirios Karavoltsos¹, Marta Plavšić², Nick Kalogeropoulos³, Dimitra A A Kogiannou³, Slađana Strmečki², Aikaterini Sakellari⁴, Manos Dassenakis⁴, Michael Scoullos⁴

Affiliations

¹ National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: skarav@chem.uoa.gr.
² Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine and Environmental Research, P.O. Box 180, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia.
³ Harokopio University, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Laboratory of Chemistry-Biochemistry-Physical Chemistry of Foods, 176 71 Athens, Greece.
⁴ National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece.

PMID: 24799208
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.03.080

Abstract

Complex formation is among the mechanisms affecting metals' bioaccessibility. Evaluating the extent of interactions between trace elements and several constituents of food items is of great interest. This paper examines the release of copper-complexing ligands in herbal infusions of 13 aromatic plants commonly used in Greece. The concentration of ligands (LT) and the copper-binding strength (logKapp) of herbal infusions were determined with Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (DPASV). All herbal infusions were found to release Cu complexing ligands, at concentrations ranging from 8.8 to 112.5 μM in rosemary and marjoram, respectively. In all infusions the total copper concentrations were lower than the corresponding LT values, indicating that Cu is fully complexed. Aiming to partially characterise the physico-chemical properties of the released organic material, the surface active substances (SAS), reduced sulphur species (RS) and catalytically active compounds (CAC) were measured, for the first time, in herbal infusions by sensitive electrochemical techniques.

Keywords: Complexation; Copper; Herbs; Infusions; Organic ligands; Phenolic compounds.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Copper / chemistry*
Electrochemical Techniques
Greece
Organic Chemicals / analysis*
Organic Chemicals / chemistry
Plant Extracts / analysis*

Substances

Organic Chemicals
Plant Extracts
Copper