SCREENING OF TOTAL POLY PHENOLS AND VITAMIN E AS NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS POTENTIAL FROM IRANIAN TRADITIONAL FOOD PLANTS EXTRACTS

Antioxidants are vital substances, which possess the ability to protect the body from damages caused by free radical-induced oxidative stress. The main objective of this study was to assess the antioxidant levels of a number of fruits and vegetables. We investigated the total phenolic contents in the plant foods used as traditional vegetables and fruits and well-known as sources of antioxidant using standard assay. Total phenolic contents ranged from 0.87 to 7.02mg gallic acid/g Dw in Alocaccia indica and Solanum indicum,respectively. Results showed that portulaca contains the most value (11.6 mg/100g),leaves of this plant may be considered as a potential new source of natural α- tocopherol, but vitamin E in Solanum, Chlorophytum and Alocacia are not detected. The plant foods possess valuable antioxidant properties for culinary and possible nutritive use.