Antioxidant Properties and Total Phenolic Content of Eight Salvia Species from Turkey

Murat Tosun,Sezai Ercisli,Erdogan Ozturk,Memnune Sengul,Taskin Polat,Hakan Ozer

doi:10.4067/s0716-97602009000200005

Abstract

Methanolic extracts of eight Salvia species, namely S. aethiopis, S. candidissima, S. limbata, S. microstegia, S. nemorosa, S. pachystachys, S. verticillata, and S. virgata, sampled from Eastern Anatolia in Turkey, were screened for their possible antioxidant activities by two complementary test systems, namely DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene/linoleic acid. Total phenolic content of the extracts of Salvia species were performed Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and gallic acid used as standard. A wide variation has been observed among species in terms of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. In both DPPH and beta-carotene system, the most active plant was Salvia verticillata with a value of IC50=18.3 microg/ml and 75.8%, respectively. This species also has the highest total phenolic content (167.1 mgGAE/g DW). The total amount of phenolics was between 50.3 to 167.1 mgGAE/g DW among species. A positive linear correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extracts. The results suggest that the extract of Salvia species, notably Salvia verticillata with the highest antioxidant activity, can be used as natural antioxidants in the food industry.

Highlights

The human body produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, by many enzymatic systems through oxygen consumption
Total phenolic content of the extracts of Salvia species were performed Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and gallic acid used as standard
The results suggest that the extract of Salvia species, notably Salvia verticillata with the highest antioxidant activity, can be used as natural antioxidants in the food industry

Summary

Introduction

The human body produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, by many enzymatic systems through oxygen consumption. In small amounts, these ROS can be beneficial as signal transducers [1] and growth regulators [2]. During oxidative stress, large amounts of these ROS can be produced and may be dangerous because of their ability to attack numerous molecules, including proteins and lipids [3]. It has been established that the antioxidant effects of sage are mainly due to phenolic compounds [10, 11, 12]

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Results