Comparative Analysis of Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Properties of Borage Oil (Borago officinalis L.) and Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum Gaertn)

There is currently a growing interest in oils characterised by specific medicinal, cosmetic, or dietary properties. For this reason, the seeds of two plants, milk thistle (Silybum marianum Gaertn) and borage (Borago officinalis L.), were studied by subjecting them to the process of cold pressing. The extracted oils were then examined in terms of their chemical composition and biological activity, and qualitatively analysed with the use of FTIR spectroscopy. The oils contained linoleic and octadecenoic acids in amounts of 47.84%, 35.31% (milk thistle oil) and 35.43%, 25.18% (borage oil). They were characterised by low water content, roughly 0.088% for thistle and 0.075% for borage, and simultaneously relatively high phosphorus content, reaching, respectively, 47.7 and 33.1 mg center dot kg(-1). The mean peroxide value was 4.22 for milk thistle and 2.83 mmolO(2)center dot kg(-1) for borage, and the acid number was 5.17 and 3.9 mgKOH center dot g(-1), respectively. FTIR spectroscopy was used to conduct a qualitative analysis, which revealed slight discrepancies in intensity at 3005 cm(-1), which confirmed differences in the content of fatty acids and oil pigments between the oils. The obtained results provided information on the applicability of the studied seeds and oils obtained therefrom as basic components of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products with potential health benefits.

Automated summary

Currently, there is increasing interest in oils with specific medicinal, cosmetic, or dietary properties. In this study, the seeds of milk thistle and borage were cold pressed and the extracted oils were analyzed for their chemical composition and biological activity. FTIR spectroscopy was used for qualitative analysis. The oils contained linoleic and octadecenoic acids, with varying water and phosphorus content. The results suggest that these oils can be used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for potential health benefits.