High antioxidant potential of pressing residues from evening primrose in comparison to other oilseed cakes and plant antioxidants

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is increasingly cultivated for medicinal use of the γ-linolenic acid rich oil. The seed cake (EPSC) - the remaining industrial residue from cold pressing - was extracted with polar solvents in order to investigate a profitable polyphenolic recovery. The extractable matter and the total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu) have been compared to a black currant residue from juice production (Ribes nigrum) and seed cakes from sesame, woad (Isatis tinctoria) and burdock (Arctium lappa). The EPSC crude extracts yielded the high total phenolic content (min 228.2 ± 11.6 to max 696.4 ± 29.0 mg GAE g−1 dry extract) within the range of already commercialized antioxidant extracts from rosemary (RO, 142.1 ± 1.9 mg g−1), green tea (GT, 446.8 ± 27.4 mg g−1) and grape seed (GS 790.0 ± 53.1 mg g−1). All extracts exhibited free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay) with the order of potency: EPSC > GS > GT ≫ burdock = black currant > RO > butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) ≫ woad > sesame. Accordingly EPSC extracts where very effective in scavenging superoxide anion radicals (neotetrazolium assay: GS > EPSC > GT ≫ BHT > burdock > woad > sesame) and inhibition of lipid oxidation (Rancimat assay: BHT ≫ GT > EPSC ≫ burdock > woad > RO > sesame > GS). Decreasing Rancimat activity from 80 °C upwards might indicate heat sensitiveness and limited usability. However, an efficient exploitation of polyphenols from evening primrose seed cakes in terms of an uncomplicated extraction procedure, the yield and the competitive profile as a strong radical scavenger can be concluded.