Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4514429 | Industrial Crops and Products | 2012 | 8 Pages |
This study was conducted to evaluate the essential oil composition and antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts from fruits and flowers of Hypericum lydium Boiss., a wild growing species of the Turkish flora. The antioxidant activities were determined through several biochemical assays. Both extracts showed an inhibitory effect against the formation of TBARS in a phosphatidylcholine liposome model system, moderate scavenging effect on DPPH and superoxide radicals, prominent reducing power and inhibitory effect on deoxyribose degradation in both the nonsite and site-specific assay, but a greater hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was observed in the non-site specific assay, suggesting that the extracts were better at scavenging hydroxyl radicals than at chelating iron. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a linear relationship between antioxidant potency, free-radical scavenging activity, reducing power and the content of flavonoids of fruits and flowers extracts. The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC and GC–MS. In total forty-three compounds were identified. The most abundant components were monoterpenes hydrocarbons represented principally by α-pinene. The tested oil showed no antioxidant activity.
► We investigated the essential oil content and its antioxidant activity together with methanolic extracts obtained from fruity and flowered aerial parts of Hypericum lydium. ► GC and GC/MS analysis revealed 43 compounds in the oil represented mainly by α-pinene. ► We used five different biochemical assays to test antioxidant activities. ► Methanolic extracts indicated good antioxidant capacities whereas the essential oil showed no activity. ► Both extracts with antioxidant properties might be used as natural source in the food and pharmaceutical industries.