Phenolic Profiles, Mineral Compositions, and Solvent-Driven Antioxidant Potentials of Two Robinia Species

The genus Robinia, which belongs to the Fabaceae family, is a source of polyphenols and may be medicinally and pharmacologically effective against life-threatening diseases. This study investigated and compared the phenolic profiles, mineral contents, and antioxidant activities of two Robinia species. The antioxidant activities and phenolic/flavonoid contents of aerial parts of Robinia pseudoacacia and Robinia × ambigua plants at various solvents and concentrations were investigated in detail for the first time. The findings revealed that 50% acetone leaf extracts are promising sources of high phenol/flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis allowed the identification of nine flavonoids and seven phenolic acids. Pelargonidin chloride, a common anthocyanidin with estrogenic activity, was the major component in all samples. Moreover, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) shows that all samples were rich in K (12 886.70-26 078.11 mg/kg), Ca (1550.51-6011.03 mg/kg), and Mg (1676.13-3115.10 mg/kg). Leaves stand out compared to flowers. It is considered that the results obtained may guide studies in the fields of medicine, cosmetics, pharmacology, and so forth.