Chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant evaluation of a water-soluble Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) extract

The chemical composition and antioxidant properties of a water-soluble extract of Moldavian balm (Dracocephalum moldavica L., syn. Moldavian dragonhead) prepared by hydrodistillation are presented in this study. The total phenol content was estimated as gallic acid equivalents by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method, while the qualitative–quantitative composition of the extract was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection. The antioxidant properties assessed included iron(III) reduction and iron(II) chelation and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) and superoxide anion free radical scavenging. In addition, the ability of the extract to protect 2-deoxy-d-ribose and bovine brain-derived phospholipids against hydroxyl radical-mediated degradation was assessed. The extract principally contained polar compounds including hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids, with caffeic and ferulic acids, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, rosmarinic acid, luteolin and apigenin being identified from their chromatographic behavior and spectral characteristics. The Moldavian balm extract demonstrated activity in all the antioxidant assays; however, it was not as potent as the positive control except in the phospholipid-based assay where its hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was statistically indistinguishable from that demonstrated by Pycnogenol.