Planta Med 2008; 74 - PA219
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084217

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and the content of phenolics in some Mentha species cultivated in South-West Slovakia

S Fialová 1, D Tekeľová 1, J Tóth 1, D Grančai 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia

Mint (Mentha L.) species are common herbs used in traditional medicines all over the world. The spectrum of their biological effects is very broad. Many of these plants represent a large source of natural antioxidants, mainly of phenolic origin. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) test was used in this study to investigate the free radical scavenging activity of methanolic extracts of dry leaves of some Mentha species (M.×piperita (L.) Huds. cv. 'Perpeta', M. spicata L., M. spicata L. var. crispa, M.×villosa Huds., M. longifolia L., M. longifolia (L.) Huds. var. lavanduliodora). The content of total hydroxycinnamic derivatives (THD), rosmarinic acid (RA, HPLC), total phenolics (TP, Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, λ=760nm), and flavonoids (AlCl3, λ=392nm, expressed as luteolin-7-O-glucoside) was determined as well. All the studied extracts showed significant antioxidative activity (AA); the Mentha×piperita extract showed the lowest SC50 values. Results are presented in the following table.

a Ascorbic acid was used as a positive control, SD- standard deviation, * in leaves dry weight

leaves

THD [%]*

RA [%]*

TP [%]*

flavonoids [%]*

AA SC50 [µg/ml]

Mentha L.

SD

SD

SD

SD

SD

M.×piperita cv.'Perpeta'

2,16

±0,30

0,585

±0,037

2,24

±0,23

10,76

±1,13

8,24

±1,03

M. spicata

1,73

±0,07

1,174

±0,085

1,91

±0,11

1,42

±0,09

9,28

±0,45

M. spicata var. crispa

1,05

±0,11

0,635

±0,038

1,21

±0,10

1,36

±0,14

13,62

±1,28

M.×villosa

1,42

±0,17

0,764

±0,016

1,44

±0,19

5,97

±0,45

10,17

±0,13

M. longifolia

2,02

±0,12

1,108

±0,060

1,51

±0,12

6,31

±0,64

9,55

±0,12

M. longifolia var. lavanduliodora

0,67

±0,02

0,304

±0,010

1,04

±0,06

2,73

±0,23

15,83

±0,65

Ascorbic acida

1,7

±0,03

Acknowledgements: VEGA grant 1/4289/07