Antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of holy basil

• Main Authors: Wiwat Wangcharoen, Wallaya Morasuk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Prince of Songkla University 2007-09-01
• Series: Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology (SJST)
• Subjects: holy basil; antioxidant capacity; phenolic content
• Online Access: http://www.sjst.psu.ac.th/journal/29-5_online/0125-3395-29-5-1407-1415.pdf

The antioxidant capacity of white and red holy basil leaves (Ocimum sanctum Linn., white and red varieties) from fresh markets in Chiang Mai was estimated by three different methods; ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity; together with their total phenolic contents. Water and 95% ethanol ratios of extraction solvents were also studied, and it was found that 57 and 76% ethanol solvents were more suitable in this study. All three antioxidant capacity assays showed that red holy basil was higher in antioxidant capacity than white holy basil (p<0.05). ABTS values were higher than FRAP and DPPH values, respectively, because of their different mechanisms, but their significant correlation (p<0.01) expressed their similar trends. In addition, correlation between results of all antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content was found (p<0.01). ABTS values were highly correlated into the results of total phenolic content than were FRAP and DPPH values.