EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STAGE ON PHENOLIC CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF MENTHA PULEGIUM L.

We investigated the relative contributions of the environment and development stage on total polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannins contents, as well as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide scavenging activities in four Tunisian Mentha pulegium. Shoot total phenolics and antioxidant capacities were significantly dependent on environment, development stage and their interaction. Environment effects were considerably larger than development stage effects for total phenolics, flavonoids, DPPH and superoxide scavenging capacities, whereas development stage was much stronger than environment for tannin content and, although small, interaction effects of the two factors (environment and development stage) were significant for all antioxidant properties analyzed. The highest antioxidant activities were related to high phenolic contents. Three behaviors were revealed; the best antioxidant capacities in Soliman at floral bud stage, followed by Takelsa and the lowest potentialities (Bouarada and Jdeida). These findings indicate that antioxidant properties of M. pulegium were respectively influenced by environment, development stage and their interaction.