{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T09:09:23Z","timestamp":1788772163627,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]],"date-time":"2026-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788566400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan","award":["AP23489321"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AP23489321"]}]},{"award":["AP23489321"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AP23489321"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05tyne317","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. (yellow sweet clover) is a medicinally valuable Fabaceae species with recognized antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, yet the impact of cultivation system on its secondary metabolism remains poorly characterized for Central Asian populations. This study compared wild and in vitro-grown Melilotus officinalis from northern Kazakhstan (Astana city), examining phenolic composition, organic acids, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity as functions of cultivation system. Hydroethanolic extracts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD-ESI-Orbitrap MS\/MS and UFLC-PDA, while antioxidant activity was assessed by TBARS and ABTS assays and antimicrobial activity by broth microdilution against eight bacterial and two fungal strains. Thirteen phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, revealing higher total flavonoid content in in vitro plants, dominated by apigenin di-C-pentoside isomers and vicenin-3, whereas wild plants showed greater diversity of phenolic acids and flavonols, including kaempferol and quercetin glycosides. Despite lower total phenolics, wild extracts more effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation, while ABTS radical scavenging was comparable between sources, and antimicrobial effects were strain-specific. Oxalic acid was approximately three-fold higher in in vitro material, a biochemical feature relevant for downstream use. These findings indicate that cultivation system substantially shapes the secondary metabolite profile and bioactivity of this regionally important medicinal species.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16091488","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T08:07:06Z","timestamp":1788768426000},"page":"1488","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative Biochemistry of Wild and In Vitro-Propagated Melilotus officinalis: Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7714-4836","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gulmira","family":"Zhakupova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9764-4894","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00c2ngela","family":"Liberal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIMO, LA SusTEC, University Polytechnic de Bragan\u00e7a, Campus de Santa Apol\u00f3nia, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Assem","family":"Sagandyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Tayse F. F.","family":"da Silveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIMO, LA SusTEC, University Polytechnic de Bragan\u00e7a, Campus de Santa Apol\u00f3nia, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3954-3833","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tania","family":"Pires","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for Active Living and Wellbeing (LiveWell), University Polytechnic de Bragan\u00e7a, Campus de Santa Apol\u00f3nia, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aigerym","family":"Akhmetzhanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0116-0260","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aknur","family":"Muldasheva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Anastassiya","family":"Tyurina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Saken Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9050-5189","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lillian","family":"Barros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIMO, LA SusTEC, University Polytechnic de Bragan\u00e7a, Campus de Santa Apol\u00f3nia, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e35815","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e35815","article-title":"Clean-label alternatives for food preservation: An emerging trend","volume":"10","author":"Chauhan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"820","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jff.2015.06.018","article-title":"Phenolics and polyphenolics in foods, beverages and spices: Antioxidant activity and health effects\u2014A review","volume":"18","author":"Shahidi","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. 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