Investigation the Phenol, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity Content of Capparis spinosa in three Natural Habitats of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran

Capparis spinosa L. is a shrub plant that in addition to its forage use, has protective importance to prevent soil erosion in desert areas and importance values in treating many diseases as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of phenol, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in different organs of C. spinosa in Sistan, Iranshahr and Saravan counties, Iran. Morphological traits (number of fruits, wet weight of fruit, dry weight of fruit, fruit diameter, number and length of branches, plant height, leaf length, leaf width and root depth) in each habitat were measured from four individuals of C. spinosa randomly. In order to perform phytochemical tests, different parts of the plant (stem, leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots) were randomly collected from the habitats in the post-flowering stage in June 2019. The total phenol and flavonoid content of all methanolic extracts were measured using the spectrophotometric method and antioxidant activity was determined using the free radical trap method. Data analysis was performed as factorial experiment based on completely randomized design in four replications. Rresults significant differences between different plant organs (P<0.01) in aspect of the antioxidant activity, the amount of total phenol and flavonoids. Also, there was a significant plant organs by habitats interaction (P<0.01). The results of the mean comparison showed the highest total phenol and total flavonoids were obtained from the methanolic extract of the flower 82.8 mg of quercetin equivalent per gram dry weight and 64.3 mg of gallic acid/g of dry weight in Sistan region, respectively, and the highest antioxidant activity was 15.7% in the fruit in Iranshahr region. According to the results, the obtained methanolic extract of C. spinosa flower and fruit in Sistan natural habitats is recommended to the treatment of diseases as a potential source of natural antioxidants.