AN ASSESSMENT OF IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF DIFFERENT EXTRACTS FROM PAPAVER RHOEAS L. LEAVES

Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas L.) leaf has been extensively used as garniture in salads and drugs in folk medicine. In this study, the possible antioxidant properties of water (WE), ethanol (EE), and acetone (AE) extracts of corn poppy leaves were investigated using different antioxidant tests, including total antioxidant activity in linoleic acid system, DPPH center dot scavenging activity, reducing power, chelation activity, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. In addition, the amount of total phenolics was also determined. Total antioxidant activities of all extracts were greater than 85% at 400 mu g/mL concentration. The scavenging effects of WE and EE on DPPH center dot radical were found to be 88.46 +/- 0.08% and 86.81 +/- 0.37% at 800 mu g/mL concentration, respectively, which was comparable to standard antioxidants, such as BHA and alpha-TP. The reducing power of extracts was in the order of WE > EE > AE. The percentage of metal chelating activity of 800 mu g/mL concentration of WE was found to be 79.51 +/- 4.05%. Our results indicated that the leaves of Papaver rhoeas L. showed the potential to be used as a natural antioxidant.