Determmination of Antiradical Activity, Reducing Power and Total Antioxidant Activity of Phenolic Extracts of Acorn Fruit (Q.branti ver persica

Despite of long use in traditional medicine, the potential of antioxidant activity of acorn fruit are still lacking. Our study goals were to assess the antioxidant potential of methanol (80%), ethanol (70%) and water extracts of Iranian acorn variety (Q.branti var persica). Total phenol content was evaluated spectrophotometrically and antioxidant activity was evaluated using three different methods including reducing power assay, scavenging effect on DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals and total antioxidant capacity and the results were compared with synthetic antioxidant, BHA and BHT. For all the methods tested the antioxidant activity was concentration dependent. Methanol extracts of acorn fruit showed the highest total phenol content (138.49 mg TAE/gr dry extract), DPPH scavenging effect (EC50= 49.5 mg/ml), reducing power (EC50=230.9 mg/ml) and total antioxidant activity (EC50=424.81 mg/ml) compared to other methods. Results indicated that in all the methods tested, antioxidant activity of BHT was significantly higher (P<0.05) than extracts. Although the antioxidant activity of methanol and ethanol extracts in scavenging effect on DPPH was greater than that of the BHA, the difference was not significant in total antioxidant capacity assay (P < 0.05). The results indicated that acorn fruit are a potential source of natural antioxidants.The activity of the methanol and ethanol extracts in the scavenging effect on DPPH was greater than that of BHA but greater than that of a-tocophero