Sanguisorba minor Scop.: An Overview of Its Phytochemistry and Biological Effects.

Since ancient times, many plants have been cultivated for their nutritional and medicinal properties. The genus Sanguisorba has been used for medicinal purposes for more than 2000 years. These species are distributed in temperate, arctic, or alpine areas in the Northern Hemisphere. Elongated, imparipinnate leaves and densely clustered flower heads are characteristics of the genus Sanguisorba. While Sanguisorba officinalis L. is mainly known for its significant medicinal applications, Sanguisorba minor Scop. is beginning to attract greater interest for its chemical composition and biological effects. Our research collected extensive information on Sanguisorba minor, including its history, taxonomy, habitat, and distribution, as well as its bioactive components and biological activities. In addition to electron microscopy of plant parts (root, stems, and leaves), which is described for the first time in the literature in the case of S. minor, the study also provides information on potential pests or beneficial insects that may be present. Our goal was to provide important information that will serve as a solid foundation for upcoming research on Sanguisorba minor Scop.

Evaluation of Polyphenolic Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of Sanguisorba officinalis L. and Sanguisorba minor Scop.

The most widespread Sanguisorba species are Sanguisorba officinalis L. and Sanguisorba minor Scop. which are also found in the Romanian flora and classified as medicinal plants because of hemostatic, antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant and antiviral activities. This study aimed to characterize and compare Sanguisorba species in order to highlight which species is more valuable according to phenolic profile and antimicrobial activity. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with photodiode array detection and mass spectrometry (electrospray ionization) (HPLC-DAD-MS (ESI+)) analysis, it was evident that the ethanol extract obtained from the leaves of S. minor Scop. contains the highest content of phenolic compounds at 160.96 mg/g p.s., followed by the flower and root extract (131.56 mg/g dw and 121.36 mg/g dw, respectively). While in S. officinalis, the highest amount of phenols was recorded in the root extract (127.06 mg/g), followed by the flower and leaves extract (102.31 mg/g and 81.09 mg/g dw, respectively). Our results show that among the two species, S. minor Scop. is richer in phenolic compounds compared with the S. officinalis L. sample. In addition, the antimicrobial potential of each plant organ of Sanguisorba species was investigated. The ethanol extract of S. minor Scop. leaves exhibited better antibacterial activity against all of the bacteria tested, especially on Staphylococcus aureus, with an inhibition zone of 15.33 ± 0.83 mm. Due to the chemical composition and antimicrobial effect, the Sanguisorba species can be used as food supplements with beneficial effects on human health.