Total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of Prangos Lindl. (Umbelliferae) species growing in Konya province (Turkey)

Prangos species are widely used as medicinal plants in Turkey, and 14 species of this genus grow naturally in Anatolia. In the present study, the phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of the water and methanol (MeOH) extracts obtained from the root, herb, and fruits of 4 species of Prangos (Prangos ferulacea, P. heyniae, P. meliocarpoides var. meliocarpoides, and P. uechtritzii) collected in Konya province were compared. The phenolic contents of the samples were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu's phenol reagent. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were studied by qualitative DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) assay to detect the free radical scavenging activity and by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay to detect their liposome lipid peroxidation. Total phenolic contents of the MeOH extracts were found to range from 77.99 to 140.29 mg/g and the water extracts ranged from 37.53 to 97.29 mg/g in dry weight expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). All extracts showed a slightly antioxidant activity with the DPPH(center dot) test. High activity was observed in the MeOH extracts when compared to the water extracts in the TBA test