No abstract

The current study was aimed to evaluate an accumulation in plant raw material of Bunias orientalis L. and Scorzonera hispanica L. the total content of phenolic compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids, antioxidant activity (by DPPH-method) and reducing power of alcoholic extracts. Raw of investigated plants collected from experimental collections of M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv) and dried for next investigation. Obtained results showed that total content of polyphenols in the above-ground parts of B. orientalis extracts was 52.88 mg g-1 GAE (gallic acid equivalent), phenolic acids-11.29 mg g-1 CAE (caffeic acid equivalent), flavonoids-39.91 mg g-1 QE (quercetin equivalent), antioxidant activity-8.94 mg g-1 TE (Trolox equivalent) and reducing power of extracts-184.59 mg g-1 TE (Trolox equivalent). Total content of polyphenols in the above-ground parts of S. hispanica plants was 60.16 mg g-1 GAE, phenolic acids-20.71 mg g-1 CAE, flavonoids-36.24 mg g-1 QE, antioxidant activity-5.35 mg g-1 TE and reducing power of extracts-125.40 mg g-1 TE. Also, total content of polyphenols in the roots of B. orientalis extracts was 9.75 mg g-1 GAE, phenolic acids-1.73 mg g-1 CAE and reducing power of extracts-138.70 mg g-1 TE. Root extracts of S. hispanica had total content of polyphenols of 10.87 mg g-1 GAE, phenolic acids-2.62 mg g-1 CAE and reducing power of extracts-110.96 mg g-1 TE. Flavonoids and antioxidant activity in the root extracts of both species weren't determined. The antimicrobial activity of alcoholic extracts of two investigated species was tested against 8 microorganisms by disc diffusion method. It was found that higher activity against microbial strains had alcoholic extracts of B. orientalis roots.

The plant raw material of Galega officinalis L. (goat’s rue) and Galega orientalis Lam. (fodder galega) investigated in this study. These species are known as fodder crops with high productivity of green mass and as medicine plants. The current study was aimed to evaluate an accumulation in dry raw of selected plants the total content of phenolic acids (TPA) and flavonoids (TFC) as compounds with antioxidant activity (AA) by spectrophotometric method. AA by DPPH-method and phosphomolybdenum method (reducing power (RP)) was measured. Study of ethanolic extracts of G. officinalis showed accumulation of TPA in different organs in range from 3.65 to 15.17 mg.g-1 caffeic acid equivalent (CAE) and TFC from 10.08 to 65.75 mg.g-1 quercetin equivalent (QE), AA by DPPH-method from 6.02 to 8.45 mg.g-1 Trolox equivalent (TE) and RP of extracts by phosphomolybdenum method from 86.56 to 288.15 mg TE.g-1. In extracts of G. orientalis was identified TPA from 3.52 to 18.52 mg CAE.g-1 and TFC from 6.09 to 46.72 mg QE.g-1, antioxidant activity by DPPH-method from 6.80 to 8.48 mg TE.g-1 and antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum method from 52.52 to 188.51 mg TE.g-1. It was established that less concentration of studied compounds found in the stems for both species. It should be noted that the content of phenolic acids in the leaves was decreased and flavonoids in stems increased during vegetation for both species. Content of phenolic acids in the generative organs and flavonoids in the leaves decreased in raw of G. orientalis during vegetation. Pearson’s correlation analysis demonstrated very strong relations between TFC and AA by DPPH, TPA and RP, TFC and RP for G. officinalis extracts. Very strong correlation in the extracts of G. orientalis found between TFC and RP, TPA and RP. Obtained results can be used in the further biochemical and pharmacological study.

Flavonoids are regarded as key compounds in bee bread. In this paper, quantitative determination of sum of flavonoids and dominating group of flavonoids were carried out by colorimetric aluminum chloride method. The principle of aluminum chloride colorimetric method is that aluminum chloride forms complexes with flavones and flavanols wherein it reacts with the C-4 keto group and hydroxyl groups of the ring C, and/or ring A and/or ring B. In this work 3 samples of bee bread and 5 extracts were investigated. The total contents of flavonoids in the tested extracts ranged from 10 to 166 mg/L. Our study confirmed that complex of quercetin dihydrate with aluminum chloride had the maximum absorption at 423.8-427.2 nm, namely in the limits for flavanols from 415 to 440 nm, in differential spectra in the range of quercetin concentrations of 2.08-31.2 mg/L (solvent was ethanol 50%). According to literature data, flavanols (galangin, morin, kaempferol, rutin, quercetin, quercitrin and myricetin) have absorption maximum in the range from 415 to 440 nm while flavones (chrysin, apigenin, and luteolin) and glycosides of flavanols -less 415 nm. Our studies demonstrated that the structure of direct spectra of developed extracts was very similar. There was no any absorption maximum. The structure of the differential spectra of all the developed extracts was also very similar. But there was one divergence in the differential spectra: an absorption maximum varies in the range from 406.9 nm to 411.7 nm that indicates different composition of flavonoids in the extracts. Repeatability of the position of an absorption maximum of the extracts is very good at carrying out analyses in the different days. On the base of conducted experiments, we assume that our bee bread samples can contain flavanols mainly in the form of glycosides and flavones as absorption maxima of the extracts in their differential spectra are less than 415 nm.

Chokeberry (Aronia Medik.) is a non-traditional fruit plant known as a rich source of biologically active compounds and inhibits the numerous biological activities. We compared the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of fruits between widely cultivated Aronia mitschurinii (AM-TCH, from Tchekhov district; AM-D, from Dmitrov district; AM-OZ, from Orekhovo-Zuevsky district of Moscow region, Russia) and introduced North American Aronia species (Aronia arbutifolia (AA-M), A. melanocarpa (AML-M), A. × prunifolia (AP-M), which have not been planted yet in the arboretum of Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow). Studying samples were collected in their secondary distribution range. Ethanolic extracts were determined for antioxidant capacity (antioxidant activity by DPPH and phosphomolybdenum methods, the total content of polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids) and measured spectrophotometrically. As standards were used Trolox (TE) for antioxidant activities, gallic acid (GAE) for polyphenol content, quercetin (QE) for flavonoid content, caffeic acid (CAE) for phenolic acid content. The antioxidant activity by DPPH method in ethanol extracts of investigated plants was from 6.96 (AM-D) to 8.89 (AM-OZ) mg TE.g-1 DW. Reducing the power of investigated extracts exhibited activity from 151.47 (AM-OZ) to 297.8 (AA-M) mg TE.g-1 DW. The content of polyphenol compounds determined from 25.98 (AM-TCH) to 54.39 (AA-M) mg GAE.g-1 DW, phenolic acids content was from 7.76 (AP-M) to 11.87 (AM-D) mg CAE.g-1 DW and the content of flavonoids detected from 8.12 (AM-OZ) to 16.62 (AM-D) mg QE.-1 DW. Obtained data showed a strong correlation between the content of polyphenol compounds and reducing the power of extracts (r = 0.700), between flavonoids and phenolic acids (r = 0.771) and also between phenolic acids and reducing power (r = 0.753) in Aronia ethanol extracts. Fruits of investigated species of Aronia can be propagated as a source of polyphenol compounds with antioxidant activity and obtained results may use for farther pharmacological study.