Polyphenols from Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

•Members of Impatiens contain significant amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids.•Balfourii, I. glandulifera, and I. parviflora are particularly rich in phenolics.•Impatiens extracts could be used as a natural source of antioxidants.•Extracts of some Impatiens species displayed antimicrobial activity.•Antimicrobial activity was most pronounced against Gram-positive bacteria.

The aim of present study was to determine and to compare the chemical composition of six Impatiens species. For this purpose, UHPLC-DAD-MS3 analyses and spectrophotometric assays were used. The results revealed the presence of nineteen constituents comprising phenolic acids and flavonoids. The total phenolic content in the samples ranged from 8.8 to 21.6 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight (DW), total flavonoids ranged from 3.2 to 6.3 mg QE/g DW, and total phenolic acids ranged from 1.4 to 4.7 mg CAE/g DW. Moreover, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the prepared extracts were investigated using different methods. The study demonstrated that members of the genus Impatiens, and in particular Impatiens balfourii, Impatiens glandulifera, and Impatiens parviflora, contain significant amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Therefore, extracts from various Impatiens species could be interesting as novel sources of antioxidants for the production of health-promoting supplements.