Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of Hieracium pilosella L. Extracts.

Vesna Tumbas,Mihajlo Stanković,Jasna Čanadanovic-Brunet,Ljubiša Nikolić,Dušica Ristić,Ljiljana Stanojević,Vesna Nikolić

doi:10.3390/s90705702

Vesna Tumbas, Mihajlo Stanković + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s90705702

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Abstract

The antioxidant activity of water, ethanol and methanol Hieracium pilosella L. extracts is reported. The antioxidative activity was tested by spectrophotometrically measuring their ability to scavenge a stable DPPH• free radical and a reactive hydroxyl radical trapped by DMPO during the Fenton reaction, using the ESR spectroscopy. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were evaluated according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure, and a colorimetric method, respectively. A HPLC method was used for identification of some phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, apigenin-7-O-glucoside and umbelliferone). The antioxidant activity of the investigated extracts slightly differs depending on the solvent used. The concentration of 0.30 mg/mL of water, ethanol and methanol extract is less effective in scavenging hydroxyl radicals (56.35, 58.73 and 54.35%, respectively) in comparison with the DPPH• radical scavenging activity (around 95% for all extracts). The high contents of total phenolic compounds (239.59–244.16 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and total flavonoids (79.13–82.18 mg RE/g of dry extract) indicated that these compounds contribute to the antioxidative activity.

Highlights

Free radicals contribute to more than one hundred disorders in humans including atherosclerosis, arthritis, ischemia and repercussion injury of many tissues, a central nervous system injury, gastritis and cancer [1,2,3,4]
The antioxidant activity of phenolics is mainly due to their redox properties, which allow them to act as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, singlet oxygen quenchers and metal chelators [7,8,9]
A number of synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) have been extensively added to foodstuffs, their use has begun to be questioned because of their toxicity [10,11], so there is considerable interest in preventive medicine and in the food industry in the development of natural antioxidants obtained from botanical sources, especially herbal plants [12]

Summary

Introduction

Free radicals contribute to more than one hundred disorders in humans including atherosclerosis, arthritis, ischemia and repercussion injury of many tissues, a central nervous system injury, gastritis and cancer [1,2,3,4]. Radiation, chemicals, toxins, deep fries and spicy foods as well as physical stress, free radicals cause depletion of the immune system antioxidants, the change in gene expression and induce abnormal proteins. The oxidation process is one of the most important routs for producing free radicals in food, drugs, and even living systems [1,5,6]. Antioxidants are important species which possess the ability of protecting organisms from damage caused by free radical-induced oxidative stress [7]. A number of synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) have been extensively added to foodstuffs, their use has begun to be questioned because of their toxicity [10,11], so there is considerable interest in preventive medicine and in the food industry in the development of natural antioxidants obtained from botanical sources, especially herbal plants [12]

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