title: Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of myrtle (Myrtus communis) extracts.
abstract: The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of myrtle (Myrtus communis) leaves and berries were measured to find new potential sources of natural antioxidants. Total phenolic content was assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteau assay, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated by three methods: diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay, the reducing antioxidant power assay and beta-carotene linoleic acid assay. The total phenol content of myrtle extracts ranged between 9.0 and 35.6 mg GAE per g extract. For each solvent, leaf extracts contained significantly higher amount of total phenolic compounds than berry extracts. All of the extracts presented antioxidant capacity assessed by the three methods, but at different levels depending on the concentration, the extraction solvent and the part of the plant used. Generally, leaf extracts showed higher antioxidant activities than berry extracts, while the overall antioxidant strength was in the order methanol > water > ethanol in leaf extracts and methanol > ethanol > water in berry extracts. The phenolic content exhibited a positive correlation with the antioxidant activity: DPPH assay showed the highest correlation (r = 0.949), followed by the reducing power assay (r = 0.914) and the lowest for the beta-carotene linoleic acid assay (r = 0.722).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, BP 2121 93002, Tetouan, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mahassine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amensour
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sendra
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrini
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouhdid
authors.forename: José Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pérez-Alvarez
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-López
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D031651:Myrtus / Q000737:chemistry*; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019800:Phenol