Preliminary communication

https://doi.org/10.5562/cca1946

Rhamnus intermedia Steud. et Hochst. – a New Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals

Dunja Šamec ; Department of Molecular Biology, Institute Ruđer Bošković, Bijenička c. 54, PO Box 180, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Dario Kremer ; Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Jiří Grúz ; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Šlechtitelů 11, CZ-783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic;Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký Universi
Renata Jurišić Grubešić ; Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Jasenka Piljac-Žegarac ; Department of Molecular Biology, Institute Ruđer Bošković, Bijenička c. 54, PO Box 180, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Antioxidant capacity and various classes of phenolic antioxidants were quantified in leaf and
bark methanol extracts of a medicinal plant, Rhamnus intermedia Steud. et Hochst., whose phytochemical
composition is unknown. Three well-established assays were used to determine the antioxidant potency of
the extracts: the Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power assay (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
(DPPH) assay, and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assay, as well as oxygen
radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Total phenol (TP, Folin–Ciocalteu assay), total flavonoid
(TF, colorimetric assay with AlCl3) and free phenolic acid (UPLC-MS/MS) content of extracts was quantified.
In comparison to bark extracts, leaf extracts exhibited significantly higher TP and TF contents, as
well as higher antioxidant capacity according to all four assays. Ten free phenolic acids were quantified in
leaf extracts while six were detected in bark extracts. The most abundant phenolic acid in leaves was
vanilic acid (1647.06 ± 79.35 μmol g–1 DW; DW, dry weight) while salycilic acid was the most concentrated
in the bark (111.10 ± 14.14 μmol g–1 DW). (doi: 10.5562/cca1946)

Keywords

Rhamnus intermedia; antioxidant activity; total phenols; total flavonoids; phenolic acids

Hrčak ID:

84520

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/84520

Publication date:

11.5.2012.

Visits: 2.982 *