LC‐MS‐based metabolite profiling of methanolic extracts from the medicinal and aromatic species <i>Mentha pulegium</i> and <i>Origanum majorana</i>

Abstract Introduction There has been increasing interest dedicated to the phenolic compounds with a view to their antioxidant and healthy properties. Recent studies have focused on plants from the Lamiaceae family with special interest in phenolic compounds antioxidant potential. Objective The metabolite profile of methanolic extracts from two Lamiacea medicinal plants was investigated. Materials and Methods Mentha pulegium and Origanum majorana methanolic extracts were analysed using reversed‐phase ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐UHPLC) coupled to electrospray ionisation quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ESI‐QTOF‐MS) detection in the negative ion mode. Results A total of 85 metabolites were characterised from different families, such as organic acids and derivatives, amino acids and derivatives, nucleosides, phenolic compounds as well as other polar metabolites, by using the MS and MS/MS information provided by the QTOF‐MS. However, the total phenols and flavonoids were also quantified spectrophotometrically and they registered higher amounts in Mentha pulegium than in Origanum majorana extract. Gallocatechin was the major compound in M . pulegium extract whereas quercetin dimethyl ether, jaceidin and dihydrokaempferide were the major ones in O . majorana extract. Conclusion The distribution of phenolic compounds in the methanolic extract showed a variation among studied plants. Mentha pulegium can be considered as a source of gallocatechin. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.