Total antioxidant and radical scavenging capacities for different medicinal herbs

Abstract

In this study, a total of eleven medicinal herbs (Rhamnus frangula, Echinaceae herba, Phoeniculus, Malva silvestris, Crataegus monogyna, Taraxacum officinale, Plantago major, Artemisia absinthium, Epilobium montanum, Chelidonium majus, Melissae Folium) from the local market were analyzed for total antioxidant and scavenging capacities. Total antioxidant capacity was analyzed using FRAP method (BenzieS Cuendet et all, 1997). The results obtained for total antioxidant capacities varied between 23.25 - 265.5 mM Fe 2+ /L for FRAP method and for radical scavenging capacity between 2.87 - 140.19 % for DPPH method. The highest TACFRAP and TACDPPH values were obtained for Rhamnus frangula (5,19 mM/L) and Echinaceae herba (23,43%). The lower TAC FRAP and TACDPPH values were identified for tomatoes Malva silvestris extract (0,75 mM/L and 7,32%). The good correlation between the two methods of the characterization of antioxidant capacity (FRAP and DPPH) suggest that the antioxidant compounds from analyzed medicinal herbs present both reducing power and radical scavenging capacity.