Polyphenol component and antioxidant activity of Thymus spp

This scientific work was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of aromatic plants of Thymus spp. in the East of Ukraine. These plants are known as medicinal and food around the world. All antioxidant parameters were investigated spectrophotometrically: total content of polyphenols (TPC), the total content of phenolic acids (TPAC), the total content of flavonoids (TFC), molybdenum reducing power of extracts (MRP), and antioxidant activity by DPPH method (DPPH). Investigation of ethanolic extracts demonstrated that TPC varied from 57.89 to 123.67 mg/g gallic acid equivalent (GAE) DW for Th. pulegioides, from 61.43 to 168.18 mg GAE/g for Th. serpyllum, and from 47.36 to 115.67 mg GAE/g for Th. vulgaris. TPAC ranged from 27.36 to 50.22 mg/g caffeic acid equivalent (CAE) DW for Th. pulegioides, from 28.58 to 59.62 mg CAE/g for Th. serpyllum, and from 22.95 to 53.82 mg CAE/g for Th. vulgaris. TFC was determined in a range from 29.88 to 61.23 mg/g quercetin equivalent (QE) DW for Th. pulegioides, from 36.0 to 82.43 mg QE/g for Th. serpyllum, and from 24.59 to 55.41 mg QE/g for Th. vulgaris. MRP was detected in the range of 94.65 – 204.76 mg/g Trolox equivalent (TE) DW for Th. pulegioides, 96.06 – 219.0 mg TE/g for Th. serpyllum, and 87.56 – 215.43 mg TE/g for Th. vulgaris. The antioxidant activity of extracts by the DPPH method was 6.34 – 9.23 mg TE/g for Th. pulegioides, 8.11 – 9.21 mg TE/g for Th. serpyllum, and 4.97 – 9.53 mg TE/g for Th. vulgaris. It was established that polyphenol accumulation depended on the growth stage and species. For all species was found a strong correlation between TPC and TFC (r=0.938, 0.908, and 0.854). Investigated Thymus spp. are a valuable source of antioxidants that can be used in pharmacological studies and the food industry.

Parameters of antioxidant activity of Galega officinalis L. and Galega orientalis Lam. (Fabaceae Lindl.) plant raw material

The plant raw material of Galega officinalis L. (goat’s rue) and Galega orientalis Lam. (fodder galega) investigated in this study. These species are known as fodder crops with high productivity of green mass and as medicine plants. The current study was aimed to evaluate an accumulation in dry raw of selected plants the total content of phenolic acids (TPA) and flavonoids (TFC) as compounds with antioxidant activity (AA) by spectrophotometric method. AA by DPPH-method and phosphomolybdenum method (reducing power (RP)) was measured. Study of ethanolic extracts of G. officinalis showed accumulation of TPA in different organs in range from 3.65 to 15.17 mg.g-1 caffeic acid equivalent (CAE) and TFC from 10.08 to 65.75 mg.g-1 quercetin equivalent (QE), AA by DPPH-method from 6.02 to 8.45 mg.g-1 Trolox equivalent (TE) and RP of extracts by phosphomolybdenum method from 86.56 to 288.15 mg TE.g-1. In extracts of G. orientalis was identified TPA from 3.52 to 18.52 mg CAE.g-1 and TFC from 6.09 to 46.72 mg QE.g-1, antioxidant activity by DPPH-method from 6.80 to 8.48 mg TE.g-1 and antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum method from 52.52 to 188.51 mg TE.g-1. It was established that less concentration of studied compounds found in the stems for both species. It should be noted that the content of phenolic acids in the leaves was decreased and flavonoids in stems increased during vegetation for both species. Content of phenolic acids in the generative organs and flavonoids in the leaves decreased in raw of G. orientalis during vegetation. Pearson’s correlation analysis demonstrated very strong relations between TFC and AA by DPPH, TPA and RP, TFC and RP for G. officinalis extracts. Very strong correlation in the extracts of G. orientalis found between TFC and RP, TPA and RP. Obtained results can be used in the further biochemical and pharmacological study.

Antioxidant capacity of plant raw material of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant capacity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi from two regions of Ukraine: Kyiv city (M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of NAS of Ukraine (NBG)) and Kherson region (Experimental Facility “Novokakhovska” of Rice Research Institute of Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences (EFN of RRI)). Observation of plants and biochemical analyses conducted with plants collected in the stage of flowering. In study investigated and compared above-ground part of plants and separated organs: inflorescences, stems, leaves. Measured morphometric parameters (height of plants, length, and width of leaves, length, and diameter of inflorescence, the diameter of the stem) showed that the most variable was the length of inflorescence (12.79%) for NBG sample and diameter of the stem (33.33%) for EFN of RRI sample. Ethanolic extracts were screened for the antioxidant capacity. As standards were used gallic acid for polyphenol content (GAE), quercetin for flavonoids (QE), caffeic acid for phenolic acids (CAE), Trolox for antioxidant capacity (TE). The total content of polyphenol compounds was 42.43 – 86.13 mg GAE.g-1 DW (dry weight) (NBG sample) and 28.06 – 96.76 mg GAE.g-1 DW (EFN of RRI sample). The content of flavonoids was 9.39 – 62.97 mg QE.g-1 DW (NBG sample) and 10.64 – 66.07 mg QE.g-1 DW (EFN of RRI sample). The concentration of phenolic acids was 2.60 – 16.13 mg CA.g-1 DW (NBG sample) and 12.02 – 30.12 CA.g-1 DW (EFN of RRI sample). Antioxidant activity of plant extracts was measured by DPPH assay and reducing power method. The first method indicated an antioxidant ability 8.24 – 8.56 mg TE.g-1 DW (NBG sample) and 7.63 – 8.83 mg TE.g-1 DW (EFN of RRI sample). Reducing power of extracts was 51.48 – 306.09 mg TE.g-1 DW (NBG sample) and 63.33 – 260.24 mg TE.g-1 DW (EFN of RRI sample). Very strong positive correlation identified between total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content and reducing power. Scutellaria baicalensis is a rich source of antioxidants and potential raw of further pharmacological study in Ukraine as well as in other regions for improving and enrichment of relevant production.

Crambe tataria sebeók seeds and plants grown in vitro and in vivo fatty acid composition comparison

Methods of in vitro conservation offer a number of advantages for endangered species preservation. Crambe tataria Sebeók biochemistry study (fatty acid (FA) composition, antioxidant activity (AOA), polyfructan and total soluble protein content) is fairly importaint and could show the potential value of this species in agriculture, Food and Chemical Industry or pharmacology including its use as a source of valuble genetic material and could lead to new promising sources of biofuel discovery. Also, comparison of in vitro and in vivo cultured plants could point out to the effect of in vitro culture methods on plants biochemical composition Fatty acid (FA) content was determined using Gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS) of fatty acid ethers. Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. Total soluble protein content was measured using Bradford method and polyfructan content determination was based upon ketosugars ability to color in the acidic environment with resorcinol. Plants that were grown under in vitro and in vivo conditions and seeds were used in this research. Obtained data showed that C. tataria plants had high AOA and total soluble protein content along with high total FA content along with high content of α-Linolenic acid and absence of erucic acid. Difference in biochemical composition between plants grown in aseptic and not aseptic conditions was shown.