EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORY ACTIVITIES OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS

The aim of this study was to determine total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of the hexane, acetone and ethanol extracts prepared from mantle, rosemary, thistle, mallow and nettle commonly consumed for medicinal and nutraceutical purposes in Turkey and all around the world. DPPH free radical, ABTS cation radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging assays, and Ellman method were used to establish the antioxidant and anticholinesterase potential of the extracts, respectively. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of the mantle ethanol extract were found to be the richest extract among the others. Mantle ethanol and thistle hexane extracts in DPPH free radical scavenging method (88.03% and 88.07%, respectively), and acetone and ethanol extracts of mantle and rosemary in ABTS cation radical scavenging assay showed the highest inhibition (88.60% and 89.73%, respectively) at 100 μg/mL concentration. None of the extracts exhibited superoxide anion radical scavenging activity. Nettle ethanol extract indicated higher butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (92.68%) than galanthamine, mallow acetone extract as galanthamine, mantle hexane, mallow hexane and ethanol, and nettle acetone extracts almost as galanthamine. To our knowledge, ABTS cation radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities, and anticholinesterase potential of the extracts prepared from mantle leaves and flowers, anticholinesterase effect of thistle seeds extracts, ABTS cation radical scavenging activity and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the extracts prepared from mallow leaves and flowers were investigated for the first time in this study.