Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous Extracts Obtained from Herb of Tansy (Tanacetum Vulgare L.)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of extracts obtained from herb of Tanacetum vulgare L. (tansy) harvested in two different locations from the western part of Romania. Aqueous extracts of tansy presented high antioxidant activity that ranged between 295.77 and 653.65 mg GAE/L, and remarkable percentage of inhibition (31.82-65.05 %). The compounds quantified in the plant extracts that were determined by UHPLC are: ascorbic acid, riboflavin, pyrocatechol, rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol. Extracts obtained from tansy flowers showed higher content of phenols compared to that obtained from leaves. Similarly, the flower extracts present a high antioxidant activity that could suggest their use as natural additives in food preservation and also in pharmaceutical industry and veterinary medicine.