Determination of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of a Mediterranean plant: The case of Satureja montana subsp. kitaibelii

Abstract

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Satureja montana subsp. kitaibelii extract was analyzed by HPLC-DAD-ESI-TOF-MS (high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectroscopy). Forty five compounds were identified, 42 of which were identified for the first time in this plant. Quantification of the identified phenolic compounds by UV-vis (ultraviolet-visible) detection was done and chlorogenic acid was the most concentrated compound. Total phenolic content (TPC) by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS methods were also measured. TPC quantified by HPLC-DAD were 1958.44 mg/100 g dry sample. This is in agreement with TPC measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH method expressed as EC50 was 116.36 ± 12.83 μg/mL and by the ABTS method was 106.59 ± 1.41 μmol trolox equivalents/g dry sample. These results reveal that Satureja montana subsp. kitaibelii could be a good functional food ingredient because its high content of natural antioxidants as demonstrated by quantification with HPLC-DAD.