Total Phenolic, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Capacity of Some Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Abstract

<p><strong>Abstract: </strong></p> <p><strong> </strong> Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the induced oxidative stress damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals that. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as a natural by-product of normal cell processes. <strong> </strong></p> <p>In the present study,were evaluated  the phenolic and flavonoids contents as well as the antioxidant capacity of seeds from  the Lamiaceae and Apiaceae family: fennel  (<em>Foeniculum vulgare</em>), dill (<em>Anethum graveolens</em>) and rosemary (<em>Rosmarinus officinalis</em>) . (Sreemoyee Ch. et. al., 2012 )</p> <p>The main objective of the study was the comparative assessment of the phenolic and flavonoid compounds from dill, rosemary and fennel methanolic extracts correlated with their  antioxidant activity.</p> <p>Both total phenolic content and flavonoids content of the seeds samples were measured spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and a chromogenic system of NaNO₂–Al(NO₃)₃–NaOH, respectively.. Antioxidant capacity was determined by 2,2-DPPH method.</p> <p>Results strongly showed that<em> </em><em>Rosmarinus officinalis</em> extract has the most effective antioxidant capacity in scavenging DPPH radicals, while<em> </em><em>Foeniculum vulgare</em> and <em>Anethum graveolens</em> were less active. The total phenolic content was within 773,14 and 3367,24mg GAE/ 100g while the concentration in flavonoids was between 231,84 and 1325,53 QEg/100g dry seeds.</p> <p> </p>