Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF ADIANTUM CAPILUS-VENERIS, LAVANDULA STOECHAS AND AJUGA IVA

Hariri Ahmed* and Ouis Nawel

Abstract

The present study is to investigate the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of the main constituents of Adiantum capilus-veneris, Ajuga iva and Lavandula stoechas. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that alkaloid bases and salts, polyterpenes, flavones aglycones, volatile oils, fatty acids, catechin tannins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, reducing compounds, sterol glycosides and terpenes, amino acids and saponins were found to be present in all species studied. The polyuronides are present only in Lavandula stoechas, while coumarins, anthocyanins and gallic tannins are characterized only in Ajuga iva. Sterols are present in Lavandula stoechas, Ajuga iva and absent in the Adiantum capilus-veneris. Quantitative phytochemical study shows that our plants have good potential nutrient. Lavandula stoechas has the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids followed by Adiantum capilus veneris and Ajuga iva. The present study demonstrated that the flavonoids extract of all plants possesses a strong antioxidant capacity through different mechanisms, which could be derived from compounds like phenolic acids and flavonoids. These results provide evident indicators that the free radical scavenging and strong reducing power of this extract may contribute to the prevention of Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation. Essential oils of all plants have not presented an antioxidant activity.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, essential oils, Flavonoids.