Comparison of Major Bioactive Components of Various Solvent Extracts from Algerian Bunium incrassatum Umbellules and Antioxidant Activity

The present study was designed to examine the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of Bunium incrassatum extracts prepared in five different solvents with increasing polarities. RP-HPLC analysis resulted in the identification of 12 phenolic compounds, including 8 phenolic acids (caffeic acid, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, sinapic acid, syringic acid, and vanillic acid) and 4 flavonoids (catechin, hesperetin, luteolin, and quercetin). Two different test systems were used to assess the antioxidant activity: DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid assays. Methanol extract exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging potential and even low inhibitory effect against β-carotene bleaching, whereas chloroform extract showed the highest effect against β-carotene bleaching and a weak scavenging potential. As expected, methanol extract recorded the highest content of total phenolics (26.57±0.15 mg GAE/g E), while chloroform extract has been found to be the richest in flavonoids.