Composition and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oil and Methanolic Extract of Ziziphora Clinopodioides Lam in Preflowering Stage

Background & Aims: Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam belongs to the Labiatae family and its dried aerial parts are used as flavors and also in the treatment of cold and cough. Methods: The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from aerial parts by hydro distillation method was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The methanolic extract was also obtained from the aerial parts of the plant. Samples were subjected to a screening for their possible antioxidant activities by using 2, 2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and -carotene-linoleic acid. Results: Twenty three constituents accounting to 96.6% of the total oil were identified. Major components of the oil were pulegon (30.1%), thymol (21.3%), p-mentha-3-en-8-ol (12.9%), piperitenone (9.3%) and 1, 8-cineol (4.1%), respectively. In the DPPH test system, the IC50 value for antioxidant activity of methanolic extract was determined to be 28.4µg/ml, whereas it was 55.3 µg/ml for the oil. In -carotene-linoleic acid test system, antioxidant activities of the extract and oil were 89.3% and 61.6%, respectively. Conclusion: In general, methanolic extract of ziziphora clinopodioides lam showed greater antioxidant activity than its essential oil.