Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Content of Juniperus excelsa Extract

Butyl-hydroxytoluene (BHT) is one of the major synthetic antioxidants with a wide range usage. Replacement of artificial antioxidants with natural antioxidants is highly considered. In this research, the antioxidant activity of Juniperus excelsa was investigated by using reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Also, the amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined. Ethanol extract of Juniperus excelsa was fractionated based on increasing the polarity. The reducing power of ethyl acetate fraction was more than butanol fraction. The IC50 of ethyl acetate fraction (204.3±12.8 µg/ml) was less than that of butanolic (>400 µg/ml) fraction (ppJuniperus excelsa, especially ethyl acetate, had more antioxidant activity.