Antioxidant activities, total phenol an flavonoid contents of two Teucrium polium subspecies extracts

The soxhlet extracts of two subspecies from Moroccan Teucrium podium were examined for their antioxidant activities, total polyphenol and total flavonoids contents. The Antioxidant activities was evaluated in vitro spectrophotometrically using four methods, such as ABTS(+center dot), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH center dot), ferric reducing antioxidant power and phosphomolybdenum assay. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were measured using Folin-Ciocalteu test and aluminum chloride colorimetric method, respectively. The total phenol contents, flavonoids contents and antioxidant activities of T. podium subsp. polium extracts were higher than T. podium subsp. aurum. The phenols contents ranged from 112.27 to 4.38 mg GA E/ g dry extract. The total flavonoids varied between 174.57 and 40.42 mg RE/ g dry weight. The extract showed significant scavenging activity of ABTS(+center dot) and DPPH center dot, with IC50 values ranging from 0.38 to 5 mg/ml and from 0.23 to 4.02 mg/ml, respectively. Moreover all extracts showed a good ferric reducing antioxidant power with EC50 values varying between 0.19 and 3.94 mg/ml. The total antioxidant capacity assay revealed that the water extract of T. polium subsp. aurum had a high activity with a value of 220 mg VitCE/g dry weight. The ethyl acetate extract has a weak antioxidant activity in the four tests. These results shows that Moroccan T. polium subspecies are a rich source of phenols and natural antioxidant compounds, which can be used as a natural food preservative.