Antioxidant potential of two Apiaceae plant extracts: A comparative study focused on the phenolic composition

• Apiaceae plant extracts are interesting sources of phenolic compounds.
• Anise extract evidenced higher antioxidant potential than coriander.
• Flavonoids and phenolic acids seem to be responsible for the anise bioactivity.

The present study aimed to characterize the extracts prepared from Pimpinella anisum L. (anise) and Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) (Apiaceae plants) seeds in terms of phenolic composition, and to correlate the obtained profiles with the antioxidant activity. Anise gave the highest abundance in phenolic compounds (42.09 ± 0.11 mg/g extract), mainly flavonoids (28.08 ± 0.17 mg/g extract) and phenolic acids (14.01 ± 0.06 mg/g extract), and also the highest antioxidant potential, measured by the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and β-carotene bleaching, the reducing power and the free radical scavenging activity. Apigenin and luteolin derivatives, as also caffeoylquinic acid derivatives seem to be directly related with the higher in vitro antioxidant potential of the anise extract. In contrast, the lower antioxidant potential of coriander seems to be due to its lower abundance in phenolic compounds (2.24 ± 0.01 mg/g extract). Further studies are necessary to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant potential of the tested extracts, but the in vitro experiments already performed highlight them as potential health promoters.

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