Phenolic characterization and antioxidant activity of Chrysanthemum indicum and Opisthopappus Shih during different growth stages.

Abstract

In this paper, a comparative study on the phenolics and antioxidant activity of C. indicum and O. shih during growth were investigated. Antioxidant properties of plant extracts were tested out using DPPH and ABTS assays. The characterization of potential phytochemicals was carried out using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Total phenolics (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were measured using Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively.An HPLC method was used to simultaneously quantify five phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, luteolin, rutin, quercetin, and apigenin. Results indicated that the Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity (TEAC) values of C. indicum and O. shih had extremely large variations at different growth stages. The most abundant phenolics and potent antioxidant activity of two related plants appear at the early vegetative and then flowering stages. Antioxidant activities and phenolic content of O. shih were higher than those of corresponding organs of C. indicum at the same collection time. The whole plant of O. shih, especially its leaves and flowers, are good candidates for obtaining nutraceuticals and functional food ingredients.