CHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY EVALUATION OF CENTAUREA JACEA EXTRACTS FROM PLANTS HARVESTED IN ARAD  COUNTY, ROMANIA

Silvia Elena Lavinia  MOT; Paul Andrei  SALAJAN; Cristian  MOISA; Lucian   COPOLOVICI; Dana Maria  COPOLOVICI

Authors

Silvia Elena Lavinia MOT “Aurel Vlaicu” University, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection
Paul Andrei SALAJAN “Aurel Vlaicu” University, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection
Cristian MOISA “Aurel Vlaicu” University, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection
Lucian COPOLOVICI “Aurel Vlaicu” University, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection
Dana Maria COPOLOVICI “Aurel Vlaicu” University, Faculty of Food Engineering, Tourism and Environmental Protection

Keywords:

Centaurea jacea, extracts, GC-MS, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content; FRAP assay, DPPH assay.

Abstract

The phytochemical composition and biological activity of the plant extracts obtained in different solvents
(water, 70% ethanol, methanol, and diethyl ether) of the brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea L.) harvested in Romania
were obtained. The chemical composition of the extracts was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
analysis, by total phenolic and flavonoid content. The antioxidative potential was determined using ferric-reducing
antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging methods. The methanolic extracts
revealed the highest antioxidant activity by FRAP and DPPH assays. This study revealed, once again, the importance of
the geographic and climate region of harvesting the plants used for biomedical applications.