Antioxidant activity of Indian propolis and its chemical constituents

We report for the first time the antioxidant activity of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Indian propolis (AEP and EEP, respectively). The antioxidant activity was measured by chemical and electrochemical assays. Reducing power and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were the chemical assays, whereas, cyclic voltammetry was used as the electrochemical assay. In all these assays, AEP showed significantly greater activity over EEP; which is in contradiction with the previous reports of propolis from other countries. This may be due to its higher polyphenol content. Hence aqueous extract may well be a substitute of organic solvent extracts of propolis. Moreover, two flavonoids, pinocembrin (1) and galangin (2) were isolated from EEP; among which (2) showed high DPPH radical scavenging activity. Thus Indian propolis, being a rich source of natural antioxidants, may be used in the prevention of various free radicals related diseases.     

Determination of antioxidative potential of lichen Usnea ghattensis in vitro

The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activities of extract of Usnea ghattensis. The antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging and free radical scavenging activities were studied. The antioxidant activity increased with the increasing amount of extracts (2-20 mg/ml) added to the linoleic acid emulsion. Lipid peroxidation upto 73.3% was inhibited by the extract of 20 mg/ml and 39.2% by α-tocopherol at the same concentration. These effects were statistically significant (r²=0.876,P<0.01) when compared with control. However, the extract had no significant effect on superoxide anion scavenging by the PMS/NADH-NBT method. Like antioxidant activity, the reducing power and free radical scavenging activity of extract depends on concentration and increasing with increased amount of sample. The reducing power and DPPH radical-scavenging activity of U. ghattensis extract were found greater than the BHA and BHT. The results obtained in the present study indicate that U. ghattensis is a potential source of natural antioxidant.     

Antioxidant activity of some leafy vegetables of India: A comparative study

Eleven edible leafy vegetables of India have been analysed for their free radical-scavenging activity in different systems of assay, e.g. DPPH radical-scavenging activity, superoxide radical-scavenging activity in riboflavin/light/NBT system, hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation induced by FeSO₄ in egg yolk. Total antioxidant activity was measured, based on the reduction of Mo(VI) to Mo(V) by the extract and subsequent formation of green phosphate/Mo(V) complex at acid pH. The extracts were found to have different levels of antioxidant properties in the systems tested. Considering all the activities, it can be said that Ipomoea reptans has good activity amongst the eleven plant materials screened for their antioxidant properties. Lowest activity was found in Nyctanthes arbortristis. Many flavonoids and related polyphenols contribute significantly to the total antioxidant activity of many fruits and vegetables. However, there was no correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenol/flavonoid content.     

Effect of milling time on antioxidant compounds and activities of methanol extracts of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Antioxidant compounds and activities of methanol extracts of sorghum for different milling times were investigated. Total polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin contents were measured using spectrophotometric methods. Methanol extracts were also evaluated for antioxidant activities based on DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities. As milling rates increased, milling recovery and a value decreased, while L and b values increased. The extraction yield, antioxidant compound contents, and antioxidant activities of sorghum grain decreased with increasing milling rates. Methanol extracts from sorghum bran generally showed higher antioxidant activities than extracts from sorghum grain. The antioxidant content was higher in sorghum bran extracts than in grain extracts. A significant (p<0.05) correlation was observed between free radical-scavenging activity and the content of polyphenolic compounds. Sorghum bran exhibited antioxidant activities that may have important health benefits.     

Determination of antioxidant activities of various extracts and essential oil compositions of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii

The aim of this work is to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of separated essential oils and different solvent extracts of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii (TPS). The ethanol, acetone, methanol, hexane, aqueous extracts and separated essential oils of TPS were assessed for their antioxidant activities. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by reduction of Mo(VI) to Mo(V), reducing power, superoxide scavenging activity, free radical-scavenging activity, metal chelating activity, linoleic acid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and peroxide scavenging activity. Essential oils were characterized in total to be 41 components, whereas 9 components were isolated by column chromatography for antioxidant activity. TPS essential oil was found to contain thymol (40.31%) and o-cymene (13.66%) as the major components. The ethanol, methanol and water extracts exerted significant free radical-scavenging activity. The methanol and water extracts displayed highest superoxide scavenging activity. The water extract has the highest total phenolics (6.211 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g DW) and flavonoids (0.809 mg quercetin/g DW).     

Antioxidant activity of phenolic and phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium polium L

In the present study, the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae) were assessed. Fractionation of methanol extract obtained from the aerial parts of T. polium yielded one new phenylethanoid glycoside, named poliumoside B, together with four known flavonoids, two iridoid glycosides and a known poliumoside. The structures of all of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data from 1D and 2D NMR experiments and MS spectral analyses. The antioxidant activities of the crude extracts and of the isolated compounds were evaluated through tests such as DPPH radical-scavenging capability, reducing power, xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation. The highest antioxidant activity was found in the n-butanol extract, which also contained active polyphenols, thus suggesting that this plant could be used as a source of natural molecules, to provide safe antioxidant additives and nutraceuticals. The structure–activity relationships of the isolated compounds are also discussed.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill

Antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activities of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill. extracts obtained with ethanol were investigated in this study. The study was aimed at determining the antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical-scavenging, β-carotene/linoleic acid systems), total phenolic content and total flavonoid concentration of L. sulphureus. Inhibition values both of L. sulphureus ethanol and the standards increased parallel with the elevation of concentration in the linoleic acid system. Inhibition values of L. sulphureus (LS) extract, BHA and α-tocopherol standards were found to be 82.2%, 96.4% and 98.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 160 μg/ml. DPPH free radical-scavenging activity was found to exhibit 14%, 26%, 55% and 86% inhibition, respectively, at concentrations of 100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/ml. Total flavanoids were 14.2 ± 0.12 μg mg⁻¹ (quercetin equivalent) while the phenolics were 63.8 ± 0.25 μg mg⁻¹ (pyrocatechol equivalent) in the extract. Positive correlations were found between total phenolic content in the mushroom extracts and their antioxidant activities. Edible mushrooms may have potential as natural antioxidants. L. sulphureus showed narrow antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria and strongly inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria tested. The crude extract exhibited high anticandidal activity on Candida albicans. Therefore, the extracts could be suitable as antimicrobial and antioxidative agents in the food industry.     

Formation of dehydrodiisoeugenol and dehydrodieugenol from the reaction of isoeugenol and eugenol with DPPH radical and their role in the radical scavenging activity

The aim of this work was to investigate the products of the reactions between isoeugenol and eugenol with the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and their role in the radical scavenging mechanism. The reaction of isoeugenol and eugenol with the DPPH radical produced, as evidenced by GC–MS and HPLC–MS, a complex mixture of dimeric species in which dehydrodiisoeugenol and its adducts with methanol (reaction solvent) and dehydrodieugenol were the main reaction products, respectively. The antioxidant activity of dehydrodiisoeugenol, determined by the DPPH method, resulted lower than that of isoeugenol considering both the parameters Effective Concentration (EC₅₀) and Antiradical Efficiency (AE). In particular, due to its very slow kinetic behaviour (), the possible contribution of dehydrodiisoeugenol to the DPPH radical scavenging activity of isoeugenol () was practically negligible. On the contrary, dehydrodieugenol had an antioxidant activity higher than that of eugenol and its lower T_EC50 (85 min with respect to 126 min) made it possible to contribute to the DPPH radical scavenging activity of eugenol.     

Antioxidant activity,anthocyanins, and phenolics of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) fluid products as affected by fermentation

Frozen rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei) were processed into juice (BJ), wines made without (BW1) or with (BW2) skin contact fermentation, and vinegars made from BW1 (JV), BW2 (WV) or blueberries (BV). Total phenolics, total anthocyanins, antioxidant activities (beta-carotene bleaching assay and ferric thiocyanate assay), and antiradical activity (DPPH radical-scavenging method) of these fluid products were determined. The differences in total anthocyanin contents of all blueberry products were significant. The BW2 had the highest content of anthocyanins and polyphenols and the highest beta-carotene bleaching activity and antiradical activity. Acetification decreased total anthocyanin content, total polyphenols and antioxidant activities. Correlations indicate that anthocyanins made significant contributions than did phenolics to antioxidant activities of products. The abilities of BJ, BW1 (wine from blueberry juice), and BW2 to inhibit linoleic acid peroxidation were high (∼95%). The abilities of vinegar products to inhibit linoleic acid peroxidation were low. The results indicate that skin-contact fermentation is a better method for obtaining higher antioxidant activity of blueberry products. Also, acetification significantly decreased anthocyanins and antioxidant activities.