Revue Nature et Technologie
Volume 7, Numéro 2, Pages 2-8
2015-06-01

Evaluation Of Antioxidant Capacity, Phenol And Flavonoid Contents Of Opuntia Streptacantha And Opuntia ficus Indica Fruits Pulp

Authors : Mabrouki Lamia . Zougari Bouthayna . Bendhifi Monia . Borgi Mohamed A. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine phenolic and flavonoid content and to evaluate antioxidant activity of fruit’s pulp from 2 Opuntia species [Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) and Opuntia streptacantha (OS)]. Samples were extracted with methanol and kept at 4°C until investigation. Total phenolics were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Flavonoids were inspected based on the formation of flavonoid-aluminium complex. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using three different methods: the 2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, the reducing power and the β-carotene bleaching test (BCB). O. streptacantha fruit extract contain more phenolics and flavonoids than O. ficus-indica. Using the DPPH method, the reducing power and the BCB, the highest activities were found for the extraction of OS fruit with the lowest EC50 values (5.76 ± 0.46, 2.01 ± 0.03 and 2.93 ± 0.77 mg/ml, respectively). The amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds was implied as possible factor witch influenced the antioxidant power of the OFI and OS fruit extract

Keywords

Opuntia ficus-indica; Opuntia streptacantha; antioxidant activity; total phenolic content; total flavonoid content