Antioxidant Activity of Leaves and Fruits of Iranian Conifers

Abstract

Cupressus semipervirensvar.horizontalis, Cupressus semipervirensvar.semipervirens, Cupressus semipervirenscv. Cereifeormis,Juniperus communissubsp.hemisphaerica, Juniperus excelsasubsp.excelsa, Juniperus excelsasubsp.polycarpos, Juniperus foetidissima, Juniperus oblonga, Juniperus sabina, Platycladus orientalis and Taxus baccataare Iranian conifers. The antioxidant activity of leaves and fruits of these 11 different taxons were evaluated. The leaves of both male and female, and fruits of these plants were collected from different areas of the country. Methanol extract of leaves and fruits of these taxons were prepared. Antioxidant activity of each extracts was measured using two different tests of the ferric thiocyanate method and thiobarbituric acid. Results indicated that the methanol extracts of leaves, of male and female, and fruits of all these species (27 samples) possessed antioxidant activity when tested with both methods. The antioxidant activity was then compared with those ofα-tocopherol (a natural antioxidant) and butylated hydroxytoluene (a synthetic antioxidant). Methanol extract of fruits ofC. semipervirenscv. Cereifeormis showed the highest antioxidant activity while the methanol extract of leaves ofC. semipervirensvar.semipervirenspossessed the lowest antioxidant activity. However, our finding showed that most of the tested extracts were showing strong antioxidant activity even higher than α-tocopherol.