Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Some Rosaceae Plants as an Alternative to the Synthetic Antioxidants in Food Industry

The applications of natural antioxidants with medicinal values are growing in the preventive medicine and food industries. This study investigates the antioxidant ability of five species of Rosaceae family and compares the activities with the synthetic antioxidants BHT, BHA as well as the natural ascorbic acid.

In this study, the phenolic content of the methanolic extract of the samples were isolated and the antioxidant activities of five species of Rosaceae were determined by using DPPH free radical and nitric oxide scavenging, and the results were compared to the synthetic antioxidant

The results showed that the content of studied plant samples ranged from 0.51±0.4 – 35.53±0.89 mgGAEg -1. Concentraition of extract for scavening 50 percent of free radicals and nitric oxide radicals varied from 77.42 ± 0.91 to 1484.2 ± 96.44 and 233.24±3.39- 1572.46±203.76 Ug/ml. The highest phenolic amount was related to the Rosa damascena Mill leaf and next grade Cydonia oblonga Mill leaf. Extract of damask Rose, Quince leaves, damask Rose petals, Quine fruit and seed and Almond seed had high antioxidant activity and no significant difference was observed between them and the synthetic antioxidants (BHT, BHA and Vit C).

The results of this study clearly suggested that there is a significant relationship between the antioxidant activity and the phenolic concentration and the extracts of damask Rose, Quince leaves, damask Rose petals, Quince fruit and seed and almond seed might be employed as appropriate alternatives to the synthetic antioxidants.