Phytochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Athamanta turbith (L.) Brot Collected from Serbia

Abstract

Athamanta turbith (L.) Brot. is the endemic flowering plant from the Apiaceae family originated from Đetinja Canyon (Serbia). The aim of this study was to determine the content of selected plant bioactive compounds present in rhizome, vegetative shoot and inflorescence. Extraction was performed in 80% methanol as a solvent with two different approaches: powdered plant material was extracted with solvent for 3 h in ratio 1:10 without (classical solvent extraction, SE,) and with application of ultrasound (ultrasound-assisted extraction, UAE). Analysis of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total hydroxycinnamic acid derivative content (HCA) was performed via spectrophotometric methods. The inflorescence had the highest TPC in UAE obtained-extract (2.73 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g), as well as the highest TFC (1.56 ± 0.02 mg/g QE) and HCA (1.45 ± 0.11 mg/g CGAE) in SE-prepared extract where GAE, QE and CGAE are gallic acid equivalents, quercetin equivalents and chlorogenic acid equivalents respectively. The lowest amount of TPC, TFC and HCA was detected in the rhizome regardless of extraction methods. Additionally, antioxidant properties of extracts were determined with five assays: ABTS∙+, DPPH∙, ferric reducing power (FRP), in vitro phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The inflorescence had the highest antioxidant activity in both quencher assays (at γ = 0.1 g/mL) with 92.1% of inhibition for ABTS∙+ (UAE extract,) and 77.7% inhibition of DPPH∙ (for both extracts). In addition, it exhibited the highest FRP (18.4 mg/g AAE, SE extract and CUPRAC (~40 mg/g AAE for both extracts) values where AAE stands for ascorbic acid equivalents. Whereas, the rhizome had the lowest values for all antioxidant assays concerning both SE and UEA. In conclusion, exhibited antioxidant properties are mostly in line with the determined content of selected bioactive compounds. Further statistical analysis is applied to confirm/oppose this.