The Comparision of Antioxidant and Reactive Oxygen Scavenging Capacities of Ethanol, Methanol and Aqueous Extracts of Various Natural Leafs

Leafs have contain wide antioxidant range which may provide prevention against radical oxygen species. The aim of this work was to measure the antioxidant capacity of 15 commercially available leaf extracts (ethanol, methanol, water) using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay. Also we evaluated total phenolic and monomeric anthocyanin contents, hydroxyl radical and superoxide scavenging capacities, too. It was obtained that, although water, ethanol and methanol extracts of M. communis had the highest antioxidant and reactive oxygen scavenging capacities. Also it had the highest total monomeric anthocyanin and phenolic contents. In addition, water, ethanol and methanol extracts of S. nigra was the least effective ones. It had the lowest total phenolic content, total monomeric anthocyanins, antioxidant and reactive oxygen scavenging capacities. For all parameters, values were in the order: Ethanol extract < Methanol extract < Water extract. It was concluded that extractions of some leafs possessed antioxidant and reactive oxygen scavenging capacities. Antioxidant and reactive oxygen scavenging capacities, total phenolic content, total monomeric anthocyanins of water extracts of leafs were higher than the extracts of ethanol and methanol. Further work will be carried out to find biologically active compounds of them.