Determination of total phenolics, flavonoids and radical scavenging activity of Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) methanolic extracts

The aim was to estimate changes of total phenolics, total flavonoids and radical scavenging activity of Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) methanolic extracts during vegetation in middle Lithuania edafo-climatic conditions. The object. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is the annual herbaceous plant from Labiatae Lindl. family originated from Mediterranean area and Middle East. This medicinal (aromatic) plant has been introduced in Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University since 1962 [1]. According to the literature summer savory has significant antioxidant activity related to the high phenolic content [2,3,4]. The raw material – Savory herb (Herba Saturejae) is widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of digestion disorders, cramps, cold and respiratory infections [5]. In this study phytochemical analysis of medicinal plants methanolic extracts was performed using spectrophotometry methods. The Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method was applied for determination of the total phenolic content. Estimation of total flavonoids was determined using a colorimetric aluminum chloride method. In order to detect antioxidant activity, a method based on the reduction of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was carried out. Results. The amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids and radical scavenging activity were determined in five vegetation phases (intensive growing, butonisation, beginning of flowering, massive flowering, end of flowering). Spectrophotometric analysis revealed, that total amount of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in Satureja hortensis L. significantly changed during the plant vegetation. The highest concentration of these compounds was determined in butonization phase. The radical scavenging activity was caried out using DPPH radical, the correlation between total phenolic content with radical scavenging activity was observed. Conclusion. Determined phenolic comp...[...]Biochemijos katedraBotanikos sodasLietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas. Medicinos akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta