Document Type : Original Research Article

Abstract

Dracocephalum Kotschyi Boiss, is one of Dracocephalum species which has been used in traditional Iranian medicine with pharmacological and biological activities. The antioxidant properties and total flavonoid and phenolic contents of three different extracts of Dracocephalum Kotschyi Boiss were investigated. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was calculated using three different assay including DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) and ABTS (2,2ʹ-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)). Among these extracts, the methanol extracts showed the highest radical scavenging activity 6.87±0.01 μmoL Trolox/g ferric reducing activity and the best activity in ABTS test (7.47±0.03 μmoL Trolox/g). The methanol extract of Dracocephalum Kotschyi showed also the highest total phenolic content 188.08±0.01 mg GAE/g, followed by ethyl acetate extract 95.58±0.01 mg GAE/g and also greatest total flavonoid content with 1037.00±0.01 mg quercetine equivalents/g. The results of this study showed that the potent antioxidant activity of Dracocephalum Kotschyi make use it as a natural antioxidant in food industries and other pharmaceutical purposes.

Keywords

• Dracocephalum Kotschyi Boiss
• FRAP
• ABTS
• DPPH
• total phenol
• flavonoid content