Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Content of Methanol and Ethanol Extracts from Leaves of Rockrose (Cistus ladaniferus)
Published May 9, 2010 · M. Amensour, E. Sendra, J. Pérez-Álvarez
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
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Abstract
Plants have been used for years as a source of traditional medicine to treat various diseases and conditions. Many of these medicinal plants are also excellent sources for phytochemicals, many of which have potent antioxidant activities [1, 2]. Cistus ladaniferus L., a Cistaceae named rockrose and the most important Cistus species in the perfumery field, is an odorous shrub that grows wild in Portugal, Spain, France (the Esterel massif), Italy (Sicily), and northern regions of Algeria and Morocco [3, 4]. This plant is widely used in herbal medicine and it is claimed to possess various physiological effects. Among the bioactive compounds present in plants, polyphenols and particularly flavonoids are widely appreciated for their potential beneficial health effects, like antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic activities [4]. Pharmacological studies on Cistus extracts reported that they have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory [5], antiulcer [6], antiaggregant of platelets [7], hypotensive and spasmolytic activities [8]. It is also commonly used as an antigastric agent by the local population of the North Morocco. This specie is a strongly aromatic plant because of the high essential oil content in their leaves, flower, and fruit glands. The essential oil of Cistus ladaniferus is extremely complex. In some cases, up to 300 compounds have been detected by GC (gas chromatography), most of them being only present as traces [9]. The GC chromatogram of the oil from C. ladaniferus var. maculatus from Morocco showed more than 50 components among which 30 were identified. The main components were the monoterpenoids (bornyl acetate (5.5 %) and pinocarveol (7.7 %)), and sesquiterpenoid alcohols (viridiflorol (7.2 %) and ledol (3.5 %)) [10]. Moreover, this plant is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds [4]. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) is a major cause of food deterioration, affecting colour, flavour, texture and nutritional value [11]. Antioxidants are of interest to the food industry, because they prevent rancidity [11, 12]. At the present time, the most commonly used antioxidants are butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propylgallate and tert-butyl hydroquinone. However, concern over the safety of synthetic antioxidants has increased consumers’ interest in natural antioxidants. Therefore, there has been great interest in finding natural M. Amensour :N. Skali-Senhaji : J. Abrini Laboratory of Biology and Health, Team Biotechnology and applied Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, BP 2121, 93002 Tetouan, Morocco