Enrichment of Whole-Grain Breads with Food-Grade Extracted Apple Pomace Bioactives Enhanced Their Anti-Inflammatory, Antithrombotic and Anti-Oxidant Functional Properties.

Apple pomace (AP) is a bio-waste product of apples that is co-produced as a by-product during apples' processing for making apple-based products, mainly apple juice, cider and vinegar. AP is a rich source of several bioactives that can be valorized as ingredients for developing novel functional foods, supplements and nutraceuticals. Within the present study, food-grade extracts from AP with different tannin contents were found to contain bioactive polar lipids (PLs), phenolics and carotenoids with strong anti-oxidant, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties. The extract from the low-in-tannins AP showed stronger anti-inflammatory potency in human platelets against the potent thrombo-inflammatory mediator platelet-activating factor (PAF), while it also exhibited considerable anti-platelet effects against the standard platelet agonist, adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The infusion of 0.5-1.0 g of this bioactive AP extract as functional ingredients for whole-grain bread-making resulted in the production of novel bio-functional bread products with stronger anti-oxidant, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory potency against both PAF and ADP in human platelets, compared to the standard non-infused control breads. Structural analysis by LCMS showed that the PL-bioactives from all these sources (AP and the bio-functional breads) are rich in bioactive unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), especially in the omega-9 oleic acid (OA; 18:1n9), the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA; 18:n3) and the omega-6 linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n6), which further supports their strong anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties. All food-grade extracted AP including that infused with AP-bioactives novel functional breads showed higher hydrophilic, lipophilic and total phenolic content, as well as total carotenoid content, and subsequently stronger antioxidant capacity. These results showed the potential of appropriately valorizing AP-extracts in developing novel bio-functional bakery products, as well as in other health-promoting applications. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to fully elucidate and/or validate the anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and antioxidant potential of novel bio-functional products across the food and cosmetic sectors when infused with these AP bioactives.

Hydroethanolic Extract of Urtica dioica L. (Stinging Nettle) Leaves as Disaccharidase Inhibitor and Glucose Transport in Caco-2 Hinderer.

Herbal treatment for diabetes mellitus is widely used. The pharmacological activity is thought to be due to the phenolic compounds found in the plant leaves. The present study aims to investigate the phytochemical composition of Urtica dioica (UD) hydroethanolic extract and to screen its antidiabetic activity by disaccharidase hindering and glucose transport in Caco-2 cells. The results have shown that a total of 13 phenolic compounds in this work, viz. caffeic and coumaric acid esters (1, 2, 4-7, 10), ferulic derivative (3), and flavonoid glycosides (8, 9, 11-13), were identified using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS2. The most abundant phenolic compounds were 8 (rutin) followed by 6 (caffeoylquinic acid III). Less predominant compounds were 4 (caffeoylquinic acid II) and 11 (kaempferol-O-rutinoside). The UD hydroethanolic extract showed 56%, 45%, and 28% (1.0 mg/mL) inhibition level for maltase, sucrase, and lactase, respectively. On the other hand, glucose transport was 1.48 times less at 1.0 mg/mL UD extract compared with the control containing no UD extract. The results confirmed that U. dioica is a potential antidiabetic herb having both anti-disaccharidase and glucose transport inhibitory properties, which explained the use of UD in traditional medicine.

Effects of pH and Temperature on Water under Pressurized Conditions in the Extraction of Nutraceuticals from Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) Mushroom.

Currently, there is increased interest in finding appropriate food-grade green extraction systems capable of extracting these bioactive compounds from dietary mushrooms for applications in various food, pharmacological, or nutraceutical formulations. Herein, we evaluated a modified Swiss water process (SWP) method using alkaline and acidic pH at low and high temperature under pressurized conditions as a suitable green food grade solvent to obtained extracts enriched with myco-nutrients (dietary phenolics, total antioxidants (TAA), vitamins, and minerals) from Chaga. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution accurate mass tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRAMS-MS/MS) was used to assess the phenolic compounds and vitamin levels in the extracts, while inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine the mineral contents. Over 20 phenolic compounds were quantitatively evaluated in the extracts and the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA) was observed at pH 11.5 at 100 °C. The most abundant phenolic compounds present in Chaga extracts included phenolic acids such as protocatechuic acid 4-glucoside (0.7-1.08 µg/mL), syringic acid (0.62-1.18 µg/mL), and myricetin (0.68-1.3 µg/mL). Vitamins are being reported for the first time in Chaga. Not only, a strong correlation was found for TPC with TAA (r-0.8, <0.0001), but also, with individual phenolics (i.e., Salicylic acid), lipophilic antioxidant activity (LAA), and total antioxidant minerals (TAM). pH 2.5 at 100 °C treatment shows superior effects in extracting the B vitamins whereas pH 2.5 at 60 and 100 °C treatments were outstanding for extraction of total fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin E content was the highest for the fat-soluble vitamins in the Chaga extract under acidic pH (2.5) and high temp. (100 °C) and ranges between 50 to 175 µg/100 g Chaga. Antioxidant minerals ranged from 85.94 µg/g (pH7 at 100 °C) to 113.86 µg/g DW (pH2.5 at 100 °C). High temperature 100 °C and a pH of 2.5 or 9.5. The treatment of pH 11.5 at 100 °C was the most useful for recovering phenolics and antioxidants from Chaga including several phenolic compounds reported for the first time in Chaga. SWP is being proposed herein for the first time as a novel, green food-grade solvent system for the extraction of myco-nutrients from Chaga and have potential applications as a suitable approach to extract nutrients from other matrices. Chaga extracts enriched with bioactive myconutrients and antioxidants may be suitable for further use or applications in the food and nutraceutical industries.

Nigella Plants - Traditional Uses, Bioactive Phytoconstituents, Preclinical and Clinical Studies.

Nigella is a small genus of the family Ranunculaceae, which includes some popular species due to their culinary and medicinal properties, especially in Eastern Europe, Middle East, Western, and Central Asia. Therefore, this review covers the traditional uses and phytochemical composition of Nigella and, in particular, Nigella sativa. The pharmacological studies reported in vitro, in vivo, and in humans have also been reviewed. One of the main strength of the use of Nigella is that the seeds are rich in the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid and provide an extra-source of dietary phytochemicals, including the bioactive thymoquinone, and characteristics saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Among Nigella species, N. sativa L. is the most studied plant from the genus. Due to the phytochemical composition and pharmacological properties, the seed and seed oil from this plant can be considered as good candidates to formulate functional ingredients on the basis of folklore and scientific knowledge. Nonetheless, the main limations are that more studies, especially, clinical trials are required to standardize the results, e.g. to establish active molecules, dosage, chemical profile, long-term effects and impact of cooking/incorporation into foods.

Vicia plants-A comprehensive review on chemical composition and phytopharmacology.

The plants belonging to the genus Vicia are of great interest as a source of many bioactive compounds and micronutrients. A snapshot of their cultivation, habitat, main components, from which essential oils can be obtained, is given. The traditional medicinal uses of Vicia plants are also reported, as well as the wide spectrum of the main biological activities attributed to Vicia plants is discussed regarding potential health beneficial properties, in particular anti-Parkinson, anticholinesterase, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive, antidiabetic, antihemolytic, anticoagulant, estrogenic, diuretic, antihypoxic activities.

Evaluation of Phoenix dactylifera Edible Parts and Byproducts as Sources of Phytoprostanes and Phytofurans.

Even though traditionally date-fruit has been featured by a marginal use, mainly restricted to its dietary intake, in recent years, it has raised the range of applications for this agro-food production. These new uses have entailed an enlarged production of date fruits and, simultaneously, of date palm byproducts. Encouraged by the traditional medicinal uses of dates, according to their phytochemical composition, the present work was focused on the evaluation of a new family of secondary metabolites, the plant oxylipins phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) and phytofurans (PhytoFs), in six separate matrixes of the date palm edible parts and byproducts, applying an UHPLC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS-based methodology. The evaluation for the first time of date palm edible parts and byproducts as a dietary source of PhytoPs and PhytoFs provides evidence on the value of six different parts (pulp, skin, pits, leaves, clusters, and pollen) regarding their content in these plant oxylipins evidenced by the presence of the PhytoPs, 9-F1t-PhytoP (201.3-7223.1 ng/100 g dw) and 9-epi-9-F1t-PhytoP (209.7-7297.4 ng/100 g dw), and the PhytoFs ent-16(RS)-9-epi-ST-Δ14-10-PhytoF (4.6-191.0 ng/100g dw), and ent-16(RS)-13-epi-ST-Δ14-9-PhytoF as the most abundant compounds. Regarding the diverse matrixes assessed, pollen, clusters, and leaves for PhytoPs and skins and pollen for PhytoFs were identified as the most interesting sources of these compounds. In this concern, the information obtained upon the detailed characterization performed in the present work will allow unravelling the biological interest of PhytoPs and PhytoFs and the extent to which these compounds could exert valuable biological activities upon in vitro (mechanistic) and in vivo studies, allocating the effort-focus on the chemical species of PhytoPs and PhytoFs responsible for such traits.

Phytosterols: From Preclinical Evidence to Potential Clinical Applications.

Phytosterols (PSs) are plant-originated steroids. Over 250 PSs have been isolated, and each plant species contains a characteristic phytosterol composition. A wide number of studies have reported remarkable pharmacological effects of PSs, acting as chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antiatherosclerotic agents. However, PS bioavailability is a key issue, as it can be influenced by several factors (type, source, processing, preparation, delivery method, food matrix, dose, time of administration into the body, and genetic factors), and the existence of a close relationship between their chemical structures (e.g., saturation degree and side-chain length) and low absorption rates has been stated. In this sense, the present review intends to provide in-depth data on PS therapeutic potential for human health, also emphasizing their preclinical effects and bioavailability-related issues.

Untargeted metabolite profiling and phytochemical analysis of Micromeria fruticosa L. (Lamiaceae) leaves.

Micromeria fruticosa is an important crop, is widely used in the Mediterranean basin as food and in folk medicine, owing to its health-promoting properties, partially due to the secondary metabolite composition. However, complete information on the phyto-metabolites in M. fruticosa is still lacking. Plant leaves were extracted in methanol (80%), then the phyto-metabolites were separated on C18 column and an extensive characterization using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS2 method in two ionization modes was established. A total of 215 phenolics and other compounds were tentatively identified, offering the first comprehensive study available on the phytochemicals from M. fruticosa. Over 180 phytochemicals (87 flavonoids, 41 phenolic acids, 16 terpenoids, 8 sulfate derivatives, 7 iridoids, and others) are reported in Micromeria for the first time. M. fruticosa can be a promising source of functional ingredients and has use in the food, pharma and nutraceutical industries.

Vasculoprotective Effects of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.).

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), one of the oldest known edible fruits, is nowadays broadly consumed throughout the world. Its fruits and seeds as well as other anatomical compartments (e.g., flowers and leaves) are rich in numerous bioactive compounds and therefore, the scientific interest in this plant has been constantly growing in recent years. It has been shown that pomegranate and its extracts exhibit potent antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic properties. The present review summarizes some recent studies on pomegranate, highlighting mainly its vasculoprotective role attributed to the presence of hydrolyzable tannins ellagitannins and ellagic acid, as well as other compounds (e.g., anthocyanins and flavonoids). These in vitro and in vivo studies showed that substances derived from pomegranate reduce oxidative stress and platelet aggregation, diminish lipid uptake by macrophages, positively influence endothelial cell function, and are involved in blood pressure regulation. Clinical studies demonstrated that daily intake of pomegranate juice lessens hypertension and attenuates atherosclerosis in humans. Altogether, the reviewed studies point out the potential benefits of a broader use of pomegranate and its constituents as dietary supplements or as adjuvants in therapy of vascular diseases, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral artery disease.

Phenolic composition profiling of different edible parts and by-products of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn.

Fruits and vegetables are an important source of dietary antioxidants and epidemiological studies show that their regular intake in the diet may decrease the risk of several chronic diseases. Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm or dates) is an important crop, widely used in the Arabian region and in other parts of the world as a food and also in folk medicine, due to its health-promoting properties. Antioxidant phytochemicals present in plant foods are partly responsible for such health benefits. The antioxidants present in dates are mainly phenolics, like flavonoids and phenolic acids. The fruits of dates have been widely studied with regard to their phenolic composition. However, few studies are available in the bibliography regarding other, non-edible parts of the date palm tree. In this context, in the present work the phenolic components of different parts of P. dactylifera (cv. Medjool or Mejhool) - namely, fruit pulp and skin, fronds (leaves), clusters, and pollen - have been investigated using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn in the negative ionization mode. The overall analysis of the phenolic compounds revealed that there was a qualitative similarity among the different dates parts analyzed. The method used provided tentative identification of 52 compounds: mainly flavonoid glycosides of quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, chrysoeriol, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, 3-methyl-isorhamnetin, sulfates, and malonyl derivatives. In the present work, more than 30 phenolic derivatives are described for the first time in dates. To the best of our knowledge, kaempferol glycosides and malonyl derivatives have not been described previously in P. dactylifera. The results highlight the importance of P. dactylifera L. as a promising source of functional ingredients and boost its potential use in the food and nutraceutical industries. The MS data, MSn fragmentation pattern, and UV information obtained have been of great help in the interpretation of the compounds detected and in their structural identification.

UHPLC/MS2-based approach for the comprehensive metabolite profiling of bean (Vicia faba L.) by-products: A promising source of bioactive constituents.

Today, by-products generated from the agro-industrial practices are considered a key source of bioactive and functional components, that can be used for their nutritional and added value properties. New aspects concerning the use of these wastes as by-products in food production additives or supplements with high nutritional and medicinal value have gained substantial interest, due to their possession of economically high-value products. In this sense, the present study describes a thorough characterization of phytochemical compounds from hydro-methanolic extract of broad beans testa by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) hyphenated with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS). The proposed analytical technique provides tentative characterization of 134 phenolic and other phytochemical compounds in the Vicia faba extract, most of which have not been described so far in broad beans. Thus, >85 phytochemicals (Amino acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, and terpenoids derivatives) are being reported herein in broad beans pods for the first time. The characterization process was carried out using MS and MS2 data provided by the ESI-qTOF-MS, along with the use of the relevant literature based on the same botanical family. The data obtained demonstrates that the agro-industrial by-product could potentially be utilized as a promising source of bioactive ingredients to design new functional foods and nutraceuticals with a valuable future market. Furthermore, the obtained data may form a basis for future quantitative and bioavailability studies, which will be the next step in this present work.

Synthesis, spectral, thermal, crystal structure, Hirschfeld analysis of [bis(triamine)Cadimium(II)][Cadimum(IV)tetra-bromide] complexes and their thermolysis to CdO nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND: The coordination chemistry of cadmium(II) with diamine ligands is of particular interest. The most common structure around cadmium(II) center in their complexes is tetrahedral, that is due the octet rule obeyed. Nevertheless, five and six-coordinated complexes are also well known. Now a day, many cadmium(II) complexes with chelate ligands were synthesized for their structural or applications properties. Antibacterial activities and DNA binding affinity of this class of cadmium complexes have attracted considerable interest. RESULTS: Cadmium(II) complexes in dicationic form with general formula [Cd(dien)2]CdBr4 complex 1 (dien = diethylenetriamine) and [Cd(dipn)2]CdBr4 complex 2 (dipn = diproylenetriamine) were prepared and elucidated there chemical structures by elemental analysis, UV-Vis, IR, TG and NMR, additionally complex 1 structure was solved by X-ray diffraction study. The Cd(II) cation is located in a slightly distorted octahedral geometry while Cd(IV) anion is in tetrahedral geometry. High stability of the synthesized complexes confirmed by TG. Thermolysis of complex 1 revealed the formation of pure cubic nanoparticles CdO which was deduced by spectral analysis. The average size of CdO nanoparticles was found to be ~60 nm. CONCLUSIONS: Two new Cd(II) complexes of general formula [Cd(N3)2]CdBr4 were made available. The structure of [Cd(dien)2]CdBr4 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Thermal, electro and spectral analysis were also investigated in this study. The direct thermolysis of such complexes formed a cubic CdO regular spherical nanoparticle with the ~60 nm average particle size.Graphical abstractORTEP for the complex 1.

HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS screening of bioactive components from Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) fruits.

Rhus coriaria L. (sumac) is an important crop widely used in the Mediterranean basin as a food spice, and also in folk medicine, due to its health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals present in plant foods are in part responsible for these consequent health benefits. Nevertheless, detailed information on these bioactive compounds is still scarce. Therefore, the present work was aimed at investigating the phytochemical components of sumac fruit epicarp using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS in two different ionisation modes. The proposed method provided tentative identification of 211 phenolic and other phyto-constituents, most of which have not been described so far in R. coriaria fruits. More than 180 phytochemicals (tannins, (iso)flavonoids, terpenoids, etc.) are reported herein in sumac fruits for the first time. The obtained results highlight the importance of R. coriaria as a promising source of functional ingredients, and boost its potential use in the food and nutraceutical industries.

In vitro antioxidant and antitumor activities of six selected plants used in the Traditional Arabic Palestinian herbal medicine.

CONTEXT: Despite several pharmacological applications of the medicinal plants in the Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine in Palestine (TAPHM), studies on their antioxidant properties are still scarce. OBJECTIVE: This work evaluates the antioxidant and antitumor activities of the ethanol extracts from different parts of six plants: [Arum palaestinum Boiss (Araceae), Urtica pilulifera L. (Urticaceae), Coridothymus capitatus (L.) Reichb (Lamiaceae), Majorana syriaca (L.) Rafin. (Lamiaceae), Teucrium creticum L. (Lamiaceae), and Teucrium capitatum L. (Lamiaceae)] used in the TAPHM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antioxidant activity was evaluated for the ethanol extracts by DPPH and ß-carotene-linoleic acid assays together with total contents of phenols and flavonoids. For the anti-carcinogenic evaluation, the extracts were tested for the ability to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) using the MTT reduction assay. RESULTS: Among the extracts, the U. pilulifera had the highest amount of total phenolics, possessing the second highest total flavonoids. It also showed a maximum cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 63 µg/ml), followed by C. capitatus, and A. palaestinum. Otherwise, the extract of T. creticum was demonstrated to be an efficient scavenger of O2 (IC50 = 83 µg/ml), followed by M. syriaca, C. capitatus, T. capitatum, A. palaestinum, and U. pilulifera. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the investigated plants have shown varied antioxidant capacities which were strongly correlated with their contents of phenolics. Accordingly, this study proposes that the therapeutic benefit of these plants can be, at least in part, attributed to its potential inhibition of oxidative processes.

UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS-based metabolic profiling of Vicia faba L. (Fabaceae) seeds as a key strategy for characterization in foodomics.

Vicia faba (Fabaceae) is a popular food in many countries and a good source of nutrients. However, little is known about its phytochemical composition, specially referring to phenolic compounds. In the present work, the dietary metabolites from a hydro-methanolic extract of V. faba seeds were thoroughly characterized by a nontargeted analytical approach based on reversed-phase ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) coupled to QTOF-MS. A total of 155 primary and secondary metabolites of various structural types were characterized: carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, alkaloids, terpenoids, jasmonates, and, mainly, polyphenols. Among the latter group, 73 compounds were characterized for the first time in this legume. In addition, 24 new structures, belonging to jasmonates and glycosylated N-containing compounds, were also proposed. Thus, this methodology could be implemented in foodomics as a characterization strategy to complement the knowledge of the phytochemical composition of vegetables.

Tentative characterisation of iridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides and flavonoid derivatives from Globularia alypum L. (Globulariaceae) leaves by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS.

INTRODUCTION: Globularia alypum L., belonging to the Globulariaceae family, is a perennial wild shrub found throughout the Mediterranean area, Europe, and Africa. This plant is widely used to treat many diseases, but no previous work on the phytochemical composition of the Algerian G. alypum species has yet been reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the phytoconstituents of the methanolic extract of G. alypum using an LC-ESI-QTOF-MS method. METHODS: Ground air-dried leaves of G. alypum were macerated with methanol at room temperature for 24 h. The supernatant was filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure in a rotary evaporator, and extracts were recovered with methanol and filtered. Afterwards, the G. alypum extract was injected into the LC-ESI-QTOF-MS system. RESULTS: The combined LC-MS/MS led to the tentative characterisation of 63 phytochemicals. In this work, a large number of compounds have been characterised in the leaf-extract analysis of this plant. Among others, 24 iridoids and secoiridoids were found, of which nine compounds have not previously been recorded in G. alypum. Also, nine unusual phenylethanoid glycosides were characterised for the first time in this species. CONCLUSION: The method used has proved to be a valued tool for the characterisation of a wide range of compounds from G. alypum leaves. This work constitutes a detailed investigation of the chemical composition of G. alypum leaves, which are widely used in different traditional systems of medicine.

Extensive characterisation of bioactive phenolic constituents from globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS.

The aim of this work was to characterise the phenolic compounds in artichoke (hearts) by using HPLC coupled to DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS, which proved useful in characterising 61 phenolic and other polar compounds. Notably, of the 61 compounds characterised, 34 new phenolic compounds with their isomers have been tentatively characterised in artichoke for the first time, namely: 3 hydroxybenzoic acids, 17 hydroxycinnamic acids, 4 lignans, 7 flavones, 2 flavonols, and 1 phenol derivative. Moreover, a total of 28 isomers of previously described phenolics have also been detected. The data compiled from the qualitative polyphenol characterisation indicate that the artichoke extract analysed (Blanca de Tudela variety) could be regarded as a bioactive functional food and also as a promising source of antioxidant phenolic compounds.

Phytochemical characterisation of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: Although green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) constitute a major agro-industrial crop worldwide and involve many bean varieties, the phytochemical composition and how this fluctuates among varieties is not well known. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to conduct a comprehensive characterisation of the phytochemical compounds found in three varieties of green bean. METHODOLOGY: Hydromethanol extracts from green beans were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) in order to characterise phytochemical compounds from different varieties of P. vulgaris L. The compounds were characterised based on interpreting their mass spectrum provided by the TOF-MS as well as by comparison with information from the literature (some compounds have been described previously in Fabaceae). RESULTS: In this work, 72 phytochemical compounds were tentatively characterised by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. These compounds were classified as, 10 phenolic acids, 59 flavonoids, two lignans and an iridoid. Notably, out of the 72 compounds, 54 are new and their isomers have been characterised for the first time in green beans. CONCLUSION: The phytochemical composition of three different varieties of P. vulgaris L have been characterised using HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. A total of 72 phytochemical compounds were characterised, 54 being reported in green beans for the first time. Among these were the main flavonoids detected. These results highlight the influence that variety can exert on the quality of phytochemicals. Given that new phytochemical compounds have been characterised, this study offers a useful approach for improving and updating the food-composition tables.