title: Chemical composition and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant effect of free volatile compounds from Satureja montana L.
abstract: As a part of an investigation of natural antioxidants from Dalmatian aromatic plants, in this paper we report a study of the antioxidant activity related to the chemical composition of savory free volatile compounds. Twenty-one compounds were identified in the essential oil without fractionation, representing 97.4% of the total oil. The major compound was phenolic monoterpene thymol (45.2%). Other important compounds were monoterpenic hydrocarbons p-cymene (6.4%) a nd gamma-terpinene (5.9%)and oxygen-containing compounds carvacrol methyl ether (5.8%), thymol methyl ether (5.1%), carvacrol (5.3%), geraniol (5.0%) and borneol (3.9%). The evaluation of antioxidant power was performed in vitro by the beta-carotene bleaching and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. As determined with both methods, the total savory essential oil as well as different fractions or pure constituents containing hydroxyl group exhibited relatively strong antioxidant effect. The hydrocarbons, when isolated as CH fraction, showed the poorest effectiveness in spite the fact that this fraction contained gamma-terpinene, alpha-terpinene, p-cymene and terpinolene which previously were identified as potential antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Split, Teslina 10/V, Split 21000, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radonic
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milos
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019659:Asteraceae; D002084:Butylated Hydroxytoluene / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013997:Time Factors; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000737:chemistry; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D019207:beta Carotene; D002084:Butylated Hydroxytoluene; D019800:Phenol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol