Professional paper

Isolation of Active Substances from the Seeds of the Milk Thistle Plant (Silybum marianum) and Determination of Antioxidant Activity

D. Gašo-Sokač ; Faculty of Food Technology, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Chemistry, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia
S. Kovač ; Faculty of Food Technology, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia; Department of Chemistry, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia
V. Bušić ; Department of Chemistry, J. J. Strossmayer University, Osijek, Croatia

Abstract

Isolation of silymarin, a mixture of well-defined flavonolignans, from the seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) was achieved. Silymarin was extracted from defatted seed with acetone without heating; the yield was Y=4.1 %. The antioxidant activity of silymarin was determined at ambient temperature by means of a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) colorimetry with a detection scheme at λ= 515 nm. The activity was evaluated by the decrease in absorbance as the result of a DPPH radical color change from purple to yellow. The results obtained showed that ascorbic acid was a substantially more powerful antioxidant than silymarin, but silymarin was a significantly stronger quencher of DPPH radical than the standard silibinin.

Keywords

Silymarin; silibinin; DPPH radical scavenging; antioxidant activity

Hrčak ID:

71387

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/71387

Publication date:

5.9.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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