Antioxidant activity of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. in model and food systems

Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. is a sweet-smelling, self-growing plant which is traditionally consumed in Iran as a garnish. Little, however, is known about its potential antioxidant activity. In this study, the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract of the plant was evaluated using β-carotene bleaching assay, reducing power, thiocyanate, accelerated oxidation of sunflower oil, and DPPH radical-scavenging. In DPPH and reducing power models the antioxidant activity of the plant extract was generally found to be less effective than that of ascorbic acid, but it was comparable to and/or greater than the activities of α-tocopherol and BHT. Although the antioxidant activity of BHT in β-carotene bleaching assay was greater than that of the sample, the difference was not significant (ρ < 0.01). Ascorbic acid showed low activity in this assay. The activity of the plant extract in the thiocyanate model system was lower than that of BHT but greater than that of α-tocopherol. The methanolic extract inhibited the oxidation of sunflower oil at 60 ± 3 °C more efficiently than did BHT.