Analyzing the Antioxidant Activity and Fatty Acid Composition of Monofloral Mullein (Verbascum sp.) Pollen Oil obtained via Various Extraction Techniques

Abstract

This study focused on characterizing fatty acids and evaluating the antioxidant properties in oils extracted from mullein (Verbascum sp.) bee‐collected pollen, utilizing soxhlet and ultrasound‐assisted methods with acetone and hexane solvents. Soxhlet extraction demonstrated high efficiency in mullein bee pollen oil extraction. The highest levels of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH•, and ABTS•+ activities (41.07±1.43 mg GAE/g extract; 1.86±0.01 mg QE/g extract; 16.23±0.68 mg TE/g extract; 56.88±0.43 mg TE/g extract, respectively) were observed in oil extracted using the soxhlet method with acetone solvent. Conversely, ultrasound‐assisted extraction with hexane yielded oils rich in saturated fatty acids, while acetone extraction contained higher monounsaturated fatty acids. Palmitic, linoleic, and oleic acids were predominant in the extracted oils. This study presents the first identification of mullein bee pollen oil fatty acids and their antioxidant activities. Importantly, the choice of solvent was found to significantly influence substance extraction compared to the extraction method.