Description
Laurtts nobilis L., commonly known as bay leave, is a medicinal and aromatic plant of
Lauraceae family, being widely used in many food products as a flavouring agent. The leaf
extract is used in folk medicine for its anticonvulsive and antiepileptic activities. but also
against migraine, headaches, bacterial and fungal infections and gastric ulcers; the
infusions are used for its diuretic and carminative properties_ Ill
Herein, wild and cultivated samples of L. nobilis leaves were chemically characterized for
nutritional value, free sugars, organic acids, tocopherols and fatty acids, determined by
chromatographic techniques. Furthermore, antioxidant activity of their methanolic extracts
and infusions was also evaluated through free radicals scavenging, reducing power and
lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. Data showed that the wild sample possessed higher
nutritional value related to a higher content of proteins, free sugars, organic acids,
polyunsarurated fatty acids (PUF A) and tocopherols. lt also gave better PUF NSFA
(saturated fatty acids) and n-6/n-3 ratios. Regarding antioxidant activity and phenolic
compounds, it was the cultivated sample (mostly the infusions) that showed the highest
values.
The present study supports the arguments defending the use of wild and cultivated
medicinal and aromatic plants as both present very interesting features, whether nutritional
or antioxidant. In vitro culture could be applied to L. nobifis as a production methodology
that allows combination of the benefits of wild and cultivated samples.
; Barros, Lillian 
