Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

  • Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0875
  • DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 3830

Full Length Research Paper

Screening of the antioxidant activity of essential oil and various extracts of Origanum rotundifolium Boiss. from Turkey

Ismihan Goze1*, Ahmet Alim2, Arzuhan Sihoglu Tepe3, Munevver Sokmen4, Kemal Sevgi3 and Bektas Tepe3
1Vocational School of Health Services, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas 58140, Turkey. 2Public Health Laboratory, Sivas Health Directorate, Sivas 58040, Turkey. 3Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Sivas 58140, Turkey. 4Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Chemistry, Trabzon 61080, Turkey.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 25 March 2009
  •  Published: 30 April 2009

Abstract

This study is designed to examine the chemical composition and in vitroantioxidant activity of the essential oil and various extracts of Origanum rotundifolium Boiss. from Turkey. The total of the 40 identified components accounted for 97.23% (GC) and 95.10% (FID) of the total oil. Major components of the oil were borneol, terpinen-4-ol, and spathulenol. To determine the presence of well known and widespread phenolic compounds, water-soluble extract of O. rotundifolium was analyzed by HPLC. In the methanol-soluble extract, caffeic acid,p-coumaric acid, (+)-catechin, and ferulic acid were found in several quantities. Antioxidant activity of the essential oil and extracts of O. rotundifolium has been determined by four different test systems namely DPPH, b-carotene/linoleic acid, chelating effect and reducing power. A strong correlation was observed between the radical scavenging capacity and polarity of the extracts. The methanol-soluble extract which contains the most polar phytochemicals showed the strongest antioxidant effect in all test systems. As expected, amount of the total phenolics and flavonoids was very high in methanol-soluble extract.

 

Key words: Origanum rotundifolium, extract, essential oil, antioxidant activity, HPLC.