Plants with functional activities play a crucial role in both the biological diversity of our
planet and our own lives. The lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), recognized for it's
functional properties and abundance of bioactive compounds with various health
benefits, such as preventing non-communicable chronic diseases, is widely known and
utilized by the population in culinary preparations. This includes using the plant in it’s
natural form as a seasoning in culinary recipes or as a tea. The aim of this study is to
compare the bioactive compounds of lemongrass in its natural state and as an infusion
extract. Regarding the methodology, procedures for leaf selection and drying were
conducted for the physical-chemical and phytochemical analyses of the sample. The
leaves of lemongrass in their natural state exhibited 78.11 mg GAE/g (phenolic
compounds), 69.46 mg/g (flavonoids), 18.29 mg/g (anthocyanins), 2.51 μg/100g
(chlorophyll a), 3.27 μg/100g (chlorophyll b), and 17.11 mg/100g (vitamin C). In the
infusion extract sample, values of 23.25 mg GAE/g of phenolic compounds, 1.32±0.102
mg/g of flavonoids, 0.65±0.131 mg/g of anthocyanins, 0.019±0.002 μg/100g of
chlorophyll a, 0.021±0.001 μg/100g of chlorophyll b, and 4.53±1.515 mg/100g of
vitamin C were obtained. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed the
presence of functional groups related to fibers in the material. In conclusion, lemongrass
is a nutritionally rich medicinal herb, showcasing significant levels of bioactive
compounds that may undergo degradation or experience an increase in bioaccessibility
through the thermal infusion process.
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