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Phenolic production and antioxidant properties of some Macedonian medicinal plants

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Biology

Abstract

Investigations have been made to study the production of phenolic compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids and phenylpropanoids) and total antioxidant capacity in 27 Macedonian traditional medicinal plants to improve its potential as a source of natural antioxidants. Antioxidant potential of plant extracts was analyzed by five different assays: cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), phosphomolybdenum method (PM), reducing power (RP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS·+) radical scavenging activity. Origanum vulgare extract consistently exhibited the highest content of phenolic compounds and the strongest antioxidant capacity based on the tests performed, and can be proposed as a promising source of natural antioxidants. Melissa officinalis and Salvia ringens were also identified as valuable sources of antioxidant compounds. A positive linear correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolics, flavonoids and phenylpropanoids indicates that these compounds are likely to be the main antioxidants contributing to the observed activities of evaluated plants. These findings suggest that the medicinal plants studied in this paper are good sources of bioactive compounds for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

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Abbreviations

AAE:

Ascorbic acid equivalents

ABTS:

2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid

CE:

Catechin equivalents

CUPRAC:

Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity

DPPH:

2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl

GAE:

Gallic acid equivalents

PE:

Pyrocatechol equivalents

PM:

Phosphomolybdenum method

RP:

Reducing power

TE:

Trolox equivalents

TF:

Total flavonoid content

TP:

Total phenolic content

TPP:

Total phenylpropanoid content

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, P.O. Box 162, 1000, Skopje, Macedonia

    Oliver Tusevski & Sonja Gadzovska Simic

  2. Biology Students Research Society (BSRS), Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, P.O. Box 162, 1000, Skopje, Macedonia

    Aneta Kostovska, Ana Iloska & Ljubica Trajkovska

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  1. Oliver Tusevski
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  2. Aneta Kostovska
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  3. Ana Iloska
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  4. Ljubica Trajkovska
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  5. Sonja Gadzovska Simic
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Correspondence to Sonja Gadzovska Simic.

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Tusevski, O., Kostovska, A., Iloska, A. et al. Phenolic production and antioxidant properties of some Macedonian medicinal plants. cent.eur.j.biol. 9, 888–900 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11535-014-0322-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11535-014-0322-1

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