Morpho-agronomic, phytochemical, and plant residue evaluation in the production of French oregano extracts
Keywords:
circular economy; bioactive metabolites; Plectranthus amboinicus; nutritional supplements; phytochemical screening.Abstract
French oregano [Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng] stands out for its value as a natural therapeutic resource and offers multiple possibilities for industrial use. The article aims to evaluate the morpho-agronomic variables and the phytochemical composition of ethanolic extracts of French oregano, cultivated at the La Victoria farm, as well as the plant residues generated during the extraction process. Data were taken from a plantation cultivated on said farm in the Bayamo municipality, Granma province. Three batches of ethanolic extracts were prepared from fresh leaves, which were analyzed by phytochemical screening, also determining relative density, pH, refractive index, and total phenol content. At harvest, the leaf mass represented 79,21 % of the total. Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, and terpenes were detected in the extract. The physical-chemical parameters met the quality standards required for producing nutritional supplements. The mass of the extraction residues per 500 L batch produced was recorded. Regarding these, an average of 20 % of the mass corresponded to the stems, 0,016 % to leaves that did not meet quality requirements, and a residual from the plant mass used in the extraction process (22-28 %) was determined, suggesting the need to find alternatives for the use of these remains and to promote the circular economy aimed at greater sustainability of the process.
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