Planta Med 2011; 77 - PL102
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282751

Biological effects and phenolic content of felty germander (Teucrium polium L. subsp. polium)

MS Stankovic 1, J Mila 2, B Franko 2, M Milos 2, O Politeo 2, I Carev 2
  • 1Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, Radoja Domanovica 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
  • 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split, Teslina 10/V, 21000 Split, Croatia

Felty germander – Lamiaceae is popular species of Teucrium genus in the folk medicine and used for treatment of appetite loss and gastrointestinal ailments [1]. In the present study, antioxidative and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, total phenolic content as well as flavonoid concentration of methanolic, acetone and ethyl acetate extracts were investigated. Ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) [2] was assayed and values were between 235 and 846µmol Fe 2+ equ/l. The antioxidant capacity have been evaluated using the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction method [3], expressed as a time requierd for regeneration of osscillations in minutes and obtained values were: 43.5 for methanolic, 2.0 for acetone, while ethyl acetate extract did not show activity. The ability to scavenge DPPH radicals [4] was determined and expressed as IC50 values that ranged from 59.37 to 622.96µg/ml. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition was measured using slightly modified Ellman's method [5] and results indicate a weak inhibitory activity of extracts. Total phenolic content was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the values ranged from 41.37 up to 124.62mg of GA/g of extract. The content of flavonoids in extracts ranged from 47.76 up to 78.82mg of RU/g of extract. Methanolic extract was most active in comparison with other extracts for all measurments. That indicates that the methanol, as a polar solvent, is the very effective for phenolic compounds extraction from T. polium L. subsp. polium. Based on the obtained results, T. polium subsp. polium extracts are rich sources of phenolic compounds and promising candidates for further development as natural antioxidant agents.

Acknowledgement: Ministry of Science and Education, Republic of Serbia (III41010).

References: 1. Sharififar F et al. (2008) Food Chem 112: 885–888. 2. Benzie IFF & Strain JJ (1996) Analytical Biochem 239: 70–76. 3. Briggs TS & Rauscher WCJ (1973) Chem Educ 50: 496. 4. Stankovic SM et al. (2010)J Med Plant Res 5. Ellman GL et al. (1961) Biochem Pharm 7: 88–95.