title: Murta leaves (Ugni molinae Turcz) as a source of antioxidant polyphenols.
abstract: Extracts from Murta leaves are used by Chilean natives for their benefits on health and cosmetic properties, which are mainly due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds. Extraction of such compounds is strongly influenced by several variables, the effects of which are studied in this work; the antioxidant power of the resulting extracts was measured by two different methods [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)]. On the whole, maximum values of polyphenolic yields and antiradical power (DPPH method) were attained at 50 degrees C (from 25 to 50 degrees C) and a solvent-to-solid ratio (v/w) of 15:1 (15:1-25:1). The solvents assayed were ethanol, methanol, and water. The highest polyphenolic yield values (2.6% expressed as gallic acid) were reached with methanol, whereas maximum EC50 was attained by the ethanol extract (0.121 mol gallic acid/mol DPPH). Contact time was shown to have only a slight influence in alcoholic extraction, while in water a remarkable effect of increasing contact times (30-90 min) was observed. Just water was the solvent that offered the best result when the antioxidant power was measured by the TBARS method. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of polyphenols, basically flavonols and flavanols, sometimes glycosilated; myricetin and quercetin glycosides were detected in all extracts, whereas epicatechin was present in alcoholic extracts and gallic acid was only present in water.
authors.affiliation: Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería E.T.S.E., Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Av. Lope Gómez de Marzoa s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubilar
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinelo
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ihl
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sineiro
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nuñez
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D010851:Picrates; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D059808:Polyphenols; D012997:Solvents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D010851:Picrates; D059808:Polyphenols; D012997:Solvents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl