Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Crude Soybean Oil System

• Main Authors: M Taha Nejad, M Barzegar, MA Sahari, H Naghdi Badi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institue of Medicinal Plants, ACECR 2012-02-01
• Series: Journal of Medicinal Plants
• Subjects: lavandula angustifolia; antiradical activity; antioxidant activity; β-carotene bleaching; soybean oil
• Online Access: http://jmp.ir/article-1-482-en.html

Background: It has been considered by researchers to study the possibility of replacing chemical food additives such as synthetic antioxidants by natural products especially medicinal plants.   Objective: The aims of this study were as follow: (i) to determine the major components of the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia. (ii) to evaluate the antiradical activities of this essential oil by DPPH°, ABTS°+ and β-carotene bleaching assays and (iii) to evaluate the antioxidant activity of this essential oil in crude soybean oil.   Methods: The main chemical components of essential oil were identified by GC/MS. Antiradical activities of mentioned essential oil was measured by different methods and finally, its antioxidant activity was determined in crude soybean oil system by Oven method.   Results: Six main compounds were identified: linalool (27.89%), camphore (10.82%), 1, 8 cineol (9.05%), inalol acetate (8.86%), borneol (7.29%) and α-terpineol (5.04%). EC50 of essential oil was 35.54 ± 1.58 mg/ml. In ABTS°+ assay, maximum antioxidant activity was related to 40 mg/ml concentration of essential oil. In β-carotene bleaching assay, maximum antioxidant activity of essential oil was related to the 10 mg/ml concentration of it (54.4 percent radical scavenging activity ). In oven test, essential oil could inhibit of primary and secondary oxidation products of crude soybean oil at 0.8 mg/ml that was almost equal to BHA at 0.2 mg/ml. Conclusion: Antiradical activity of essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia was proved and it seems that after complementary examination, it can be used as natural antioxidant in food, especially those containing edible oils.