Abstract

The radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is a vegetable of the Brassicaceae family cultivated worldwide and has several medicinal properties. Its biological activities are related to various secondary metabolites present in the species, especially phenolics. Thus, the objectives of this study were the chemical analysis and evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the dry extract and fractions of the fodder turnip leaves (R. sativus var. oleiferus Metzg.). Samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry and the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method and the reducing power method. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the agar diffusion and microdilution methods. The total phenols were concentrated in the butanol fraction (121.27 mg GAE/g) and the flavonoids were concentrated in the ethyl acetate fraction (98.02 mg EQ/g). The ethyl acetate fraction showed the best antioxidants results, with 83.45% of free radical scavenging and 11.34% of ferric ions reduction. The analysis of antimicrobial activity showed that the dry extract had the highest average zone of inhibition against Bacillus subtilis (18.67 mm). Smaller values of the minimum inhibitory concentration for Micrococcus luteus were, and the ethyl acetate fraction showed a lower minimum inhibitory concentration (0.1 mg/ml) for that microorganism. There was a strong correlation between the antioxidant activity and the content of phenols and flavonoids. The results showed the potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of this extract with the ethyl acetate fraction being most promising for further studies.

Highlights

  • The use of plants for medicinal purposes is an old practice and is associated with popular knowledge from different parts of the world (VEIGA; PINTO; MACIEL, 2005)

  • This study aimed to perform chemical analysis and to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of fodder turnip, in order to correlate the main chemical constituents detected with the biological activities

  • Plant material The leaves of fodder turnip were collected in June 2013, on a plot situated at Avenida Afonso Pena, the city of Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Summary

Introduction

The use of plants for medicinal purposes is an old practice and is associated with popular knowledge from different parts of the world (VEIGA; PINTO; MACIEL, 2005). The study of the chemical composition of plants indicates their potential biological properties and can encompass both the therapeutic and toxicological properties (SOUZA-MOREIRA; SALGADO; PIETRO, 2010). The discovery of new plant products can significantly contribute to global health, as well as providing alternative therapeutic approaches. The Brassicaceae family has about 350 genera and 4000 species, originating in the northern hemisphere and distributed in temperate zones around the New World (ZECCA, 2008). Several horticultural varieties are found, especially Brassica oleracea var. Radicle (radish) and Eruca sativa (arugula) (SOUZA; LORENZI, 2005) Several horticultural varieties are found, especially Brassica oleracea var. acephala (kale), B. oleracea var. capitata (cabbage), B. oleracea var. borytis (cauliflower), B. oleracea var. italica (broccoli), B. nigra and Sinapis sp. (mustard), Raphanus sativus L. var. radicle (radish) and Eruca sativa (arugula) (SOUZA; LORENZI, 2005)

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