MEDICINAL PLANTS USED TRADITIONALLY IN THE ALGERIAN FOLK MEDICINE FOR GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS AND HYPERTENSION: TOTAL POLYPHENOLS, FLAVONOIDS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Polyphenols, flavonoids contents, antioxidant and free radicals scavenging capacities in the decoctions of 40 plants from 21 botanical families grown in Algeria were investigated.
These plants are used traditionally for gastro-intestinal disorders and hypertension.
Antioxidant capacity was estimated using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical) method and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay.
Total polyphenols were measured using the Prussian bleu assay and flavonoids using AlCl₃ method.
Many plants contain high amounts of phenolics and exhibited high antioxidant capacity.
Total polyphenols ranged from 0,007 to 59.6 mg (gallic acid equivalent/ g dry weight). Plants with the highest free radical scavenging activities were Pistachia lentiscus L. (IC₅₀ = 0,014±0,0006) and Murtus communis L. (IC₅₀ = 0,016±0,0007), these plants belong to the families of Anacardiaceae and Myrtaceae respectably.
Quercetin, gallic acid and rutin were used as positive controls.
Using β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay, Murtus communis L. and Punica granutum (Punaceae) had the highest antioxidant activities (97 and 91.88%) percentage inhibition respectably.
BHT was used as positive control in this test.
It is concluded that many medicinal plants used traditionally for gastrointestinal disorders and hypertension exhibited antioxidant and free radical scavenging capacities due, in part, to phenolic compounds present in these plants.

XIII International Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

S. Djidel, S. Khennouf, A. Baghiani, D. Harzallah, L. Arrar

medicinal plants, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.854.6