Quantitative determination of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and assay of antioxidant activity in medical marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) flowers.

Our work was to examine marigold flowers (Calendula officinalis L.). This yearling herbaceous plant belongs to Asteraceae family. It is 30 - 40 cm tall, erect, branched, overgrown hairs mast. This well-known plant has bactericidal properties: decoction made of marigold flowers is used to rinse throat angina, or other inflammatory diseases. Ointments and tinctures are used externally to treat hard- healing wounds and burns. Preparations of this plant have antiseptic, anesthetic, inflammation – inhibiting, the driving bile properties. The aim of this job was to determine flavonoids, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) flowers. Marigold flowers were collected at different flowering period, at different Lithuanian places to assess the accumulated material differences. Flavonoids, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was determined using spectrophotometric method. Results were compared with other Marigold flowers results from other regions. The chemical composition of marigold-carotenoids, lycopene, carotene, violaxanthin, rubixanthin, vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolcarbonic acid, mucus. Found traces of essential oil: menton, isomentane, caryophyllene, carvone, saponins, polysaccharides. The highest content of total phenolic compounds were determined in Navicku village in Alytus collected marigold flowers (22,03 GRE mg/g). Second and third place by results belonged to Utena (18,2 GRE mg/g) and Kaunas botanic garden (17,13 GRE mg/g) plants. The highest content of total flavonoids compounds were determined in Navicku village in Alytus (25,37REmg/g), Laugaliu village in Klaipeda (24,03 RE mg/g) and Kartena town in Kretinga (22,57 RE mg/g). Highest antioxidant activity was found in Utena (22,6 RE mg/g), Navicku village in Alytus (17,1 RE mg/g), Laugaliu village in Klaipeda (16,97 RE mg/g) and Dyviliskiu village in Lazdijai (16 RE mg/g) marigold flowers. Antioxidant activity is dependent on the total amount of phenolic compounds