title: Evaluation of antioxidant potential of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) extracts.
abstract: The polysaccharide and flavonoid concentrations of two-, three-, and four-year-old Aloe vera were determined, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated compared to BHT and alpha-tocopherol by the DPPH radical scavenging method and the linoleic acid system at 100 microg of soluble solids per mL of ethanol. The results showed that three-year-old Aloe vera contained significantly higher levels of polysaccharides and flavonoids than two- and four-year-old Aloe vera, and no significant differences in flavonoid levels were found between three- and four-year-old Aloe vera. All the aloe extracts showed significant antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of Aloe vera extracts and reference compounds followed the order: three-year-old Aloe vera > BHT > four-year-old Aloe vera > alpha-tocopherol > two-year-old Aloe vera. The three-year-old extract exhibited the strongest radical scavenging activity of 72.19%, which is significantly higher than that of BHT at 70.52% and alpha-tocopherol at 65.20%. These data suggest that the growth stage plays a vital role in the composition and antioxidant activity of Aloe vera.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PRC.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qiuhui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002083:Butylated Hydroxyanisole / Q000737:chemistry; D000431:Ethanol; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D002083:Butylated Hydroxyanisole; D000431:Ethanol; D019787:Linoleic Acid; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol