COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF POLYPHENOLS, FLAVONOIDS, MINERAL SUBSTANCES AND TOXIC ELEMENTS IN SWEET CLOVER (MELILOTUS OFFICINALIS), ITS EXTRACT AND YOGURT ENRICHED WITH THE EXTRACT

Abstract

The development of functional dairy products enriched with natural plant components is one of the relevant directions in modern food technology. Medicinal plants contain biologically active compounds that can increase the nutritional and biological value of food products. Sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) is a promising plant raw material due to its content of polyphenols, flavonoids, mineral substances and other bioactive compounds.

This study presents a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of sweet clover plant raw material, sweet clover extract and yogurt enriched with sweet clover extract. The aim of the study was to determine the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, mineral substances and toxic elements in the studied samples and to evaluate the differences between them.

The results showed that the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids was found in sweet clover raw material. The total polyphenol content in sweet clover was 2.07±0.04%, while the flavonoid content was 1.81±0.04%. In sweet clover extract, these indicators decreased to 0.374±0.004% and 0.253±0.006%, respectively. In yogurt enriched with sweet clover extract, polyphenols and flavonoids were retained at the levels of 1.34±0.05% and 0.53±0.02%, respectively.

The comparative analysis of mineral composition showed that sweet clover raw material contained high amounts of potassium, phosphorus and zinc. Yogurt enriched with sweet clover extract was characterized by the highest calcium content, reaching 146.62±2.93 mg/100 g. The analysis of toxic elements showed that all studied samples met safety requirements. In the yogurt sample, lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury were not detected.

The obtained results confirm that sweet clover is a valuable natural source of biologically active compounds and mineral substances. Sweet clover extract can be used as a functional ingredient for enriching dairy products. Yogurt with added sweet clover extract can be considered a safe functional dairy product with increased biological value and promising potential for food technology.