Comparative Mineral Content, Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Levels and Chlorophyll, Carotenoid and DPPH Assays of Three Wild Moroccan Medicinal Plants from the Settat Region

Abstract

Marrubium vulgare L., Calendula arvensis (Vaill.) L. and Ajuga iva L. are Moroccan medicinal plants with diverse phytochemical profiles and established traditional uses. This study aimed to comparatively characterize the mineral composition, photosynthetic pigments, total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of these wild species collected from the Settat region of Morocco. Mineral ions were quantified by ion chromatography, while phenolic compounds, flavonoids, chlorophylls and carotenoids were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay. The species exhibited distinct mineral and phytochemical profiles. C. arvensis (Vaill.) L. had the highest chloride (155.57 ± 4.65 ppm), sulphate (53.02 ± 0.91 ppm), and carotenoid (0.0834 ± 0.0521 mg kg–1 DW) contents, whereas A. iva L. showed the highest phosphate (58.33 ± 0.13 ppm), nitrite (49.15 ± 0.01 ppm), chlorophyll a (0.150 ± 0.0591 mg kg–1 DW) and DPPH activity (135.87 ± 5.81 mg AAE kg–1 FW). M. vulgare L. contained the highest total phenolic (992.02 ± 38.94 mg GAE kg–1 FW) and flavonoid (2034.47 ± 81.00 mg QE kg–1 FW) contents. These findings provide a descriptive comparative framework of the biochemical composition of these species, which may inform future studies into their pharmacological potential.