20.500.12556/RUL-169922 Phytochemical profile and antioxidant properties of invasive plants Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Helianthus tuberosus L. in Istria region, Croatia Invasive alien plant species, while ecologically and economically problematic, represent an underutilized source of bioactive phytochemicals with promising phytopharmaceutical applications. This study investigates the LC-DAD-MS phenolic profiles of 70% ethanol and 80% methanol leaf and flower extracts of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Helianthus tuberosus L., collected in the Istria region of Croatia, alongside their antioxidant capacities using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. Both species exhibited high levels of flavonoids and phenolic acids, with consistently higher concentrations in leaf versus flower tissues and in ethanolic versus methanolic extracts. Strong correlations (r > 0.9) between total phenolics and antioxidant activity confirmed the functional significance of these compounds. With a targeted metabolomics approach, in A. altissima, 51 phenolics were identified in leaves and 47 in flowers, with ellagitannins predominating; vescalagin isomers reached 94 mg/g DW in leaves and 82 mg/g DW in flowers. H. tuberosus extracts contained 34 phenolics in leaves and 33 in flowers, with hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols dominating; 5-caffeoylquinic acid was the principal compound (25 mg/g DW in leaves, 2 mg/g DW in flowers). The identified phytochemicals are known for their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, and metabolic-regulating properties. Additionally, four leaf-specific compounds were identified in each species, indicating potential for targeted extraction. These findings advance the phytochemical characterization of invasive taxa and highlight their potential as sources of natural antioxidants for functional food and pharmaceutical development. fruit growing tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus L. invasive plants ecology phitopharmacy bioactive phytochemicals antioxidants extracts flavonoids phenolic acids food Istria Europe sadjarstvo veliki pajesen visoki pajesen rajsko drevo Ailanthus altissima Helianthus tuberosus topinambur invazivne rastline tujerodne rastline ekologija bioaktivne fitokemikalije antioksidanti ekstrakcija flavonoidi fenolne kisline prehrana Istra Evropa true false false Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-06-17 04:24:39 2025-06-17 13:07:24 2025-06-18 04:07:49 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 Str. 1-19 iss 6, art. 677 Vol. 14 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 634.1/.7 2076-3921 10.3390/antiox14060677 239326211 Phytochemical_Profile_and_Antioxidant_Properties_of_Invasive_Plants_Ailanthus_altissima_(Mill.)_Swingle_and_Helianthus_tuberosus_L._in_Istria_Region,_Croatia.pdf Phytochemical_Profile_and_Antioxidant_Properties_of_Invasive_Plants_Ailanthus_altissima_(Mill.)_Swingle_and_Helianthus_tuberosus_L._in_Istria_Region,_Croatia.pdf 1 992D5AEEE8BD081B068ECFBE190F0617 192f5b0f2823997d65b7b18af18c94ae44de4b8343fa4504c055c4934c8b644a 3a680ee1-4b6a-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=211719 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/6/677 1 b354f782-4b20-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=211715 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0