Evaluation of Polyphenolic Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of <i>Sanguisorba officinalis</i> L. and <i>Sanguisorba minor</i> Scop.

The most widespread <i>Sanguisorba</i> species are <i>Sanguisorba officinalis</i> L. and <i>Sanguisorba minor</i> 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 <i>Sanguisorba</i> 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 <i>S. minor</i> 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 <i>S. officinalis</i>, 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, <i>S. minor</i> Scop. is richer in phenolic compounds compared with <i>the S. officinalis</i> L. sample. In addition, the antimicrobial potential of each plant organ of <i>Sanguisorba</i> species was investigated. The ethanol extract of <i>S. minor</i> Scop. leaves exhibited better antibacterial activity against all of the bacteria tested, especially on <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, with an inhibition zone of 15.33 ± 0.83 mm. Due to the chemical composition and antimicrobial effect, the <i>Sanguisorba</i> species can be used as food supplements with beneficial effects on human health.