Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1218909 | Journal of Food Composition and Analysis | 2011 | 8 Pages |
Tocopherol contents of Tunisian Laurus nobilis vegetative organs were screened for antioxidant activity. Tocopherol isomers extracted by probe sonication and micro-scale saponification were analysed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with UV detection to determine the optimum extraction method. Total phenolic, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents were determined spectrophotometrically. Significant variations in the amounts of α-, γ- and δ-tocopherols were observed with the two different extraction methods as well as with different plant parts. Leaf extract contained the highest amount of α-tocopherol (139 mg/100 g fresh weight), but root extract contained the highest content of flavonoids (11.12 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/g dry weight or DW), total phenolics (55.45 ± 2.9 mg GAE/g DW) and condensed tannins (9.76 ± 0.1 mg CE/g DW). Acetonic extract of laurel leaf exhibited the highest antioxidant activity response to lipid peroxidation in the β-carotene–linoleic acid system, which may have been due to the high content of α-tocopherol. These findings suggest that laurel leaf may be a source of natural α-tocopherol and that it may be increasingly important for human consumption, as well as for the agro-food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.