Polyphenols and antioxidant properties of extracts from Mentha pulegium L. and Matricaria camomilla L.

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of plant extracts and its polyphenols compounds. On one hand, the methanolic extract (MeE) of Mentha pulegium L showed the higher yield (14,4%) of extraction. Whereas the aqueous extract (AqE) of Matricaria chamomilla L had the highest yield (18,56%) of extraction. Moreover, the ethyl acetate extract of Mentha pulegium L contains high amount of total polyphenols; tannins and flavonoids (191,99µg gallic acid equivalent/g of extract; 265,33µg tannic acid equivalent/g of extract; 110,37µg quercetin equivalent/g of extract; 151,11µg rutin equivalent/g of extract) respectively. That is why this extract possessed high antioxidant activity (IC50=0,017mg/ml) in DPPH assay while the chloroformic extract (ChE) is better in the β carotene/linoleic acid assay with (61,07%). On the other hand, the ChE of Matricaria chamomilla L contains the higher value of flavonoids (197,43µg quercetin equivalent/g of extract; 273,03µg rutin equivalent/g of extract); the total polyphenols are most in MeE (299,14µg gallic acid equivalent/g of extract) and for tannin, the ChE showed (245,11µg tannic Acid equivalent/g of extract). An increase value of ethyl acetate extract with IC50= 0,0111mg/ml in DPPH assay while chloroformic extract shows appreciable inhibiton of 37,15% with values in some way similar to the methanolic extract 37,04% in β carotene/linoleic acid assay. The analysis of these extracts by deferent methods showed a relationship between the compounds values and effect. These results provide useful information about the utilization of these plants as natural antioxidants in food and in folk medicine