Background: Nepeta crispa, is an annual plant native to certain regions of Hamadan province in Iran. Objective: This study aims to investigate the antioxidant potential of N. crispa. Methods: Hydro-distillated essential oil and methanol extract from aerial parts of N. crispa were obtained. They were subjected to several assays (DPPH, FRAP, TBARS, peroxide value and β-carotene-linoleic acid assay) in order to evaluate their antioxidant properties and their effect on prevention of oxidation in sunflower oil.
Results:The extract consistently exhibited more activity than the essential oil in each and every one of the assays. The activity of the essential oil was not significant compared to positive controls or even the extract. The results from DPPH and FRAP assays correlated well with one another but those obtained from β-carotene-linoleic acid assay were to some extents inconsistent with the others. The results from TBARS and peroxide value assays revealed that certain concentrations of the extract effectively prevent the oxidation process in sunflower oil. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the methanol extract of N. crispa may be considered as novel bio-resource of natural antioxidants for using in pharmaceutical and food industries. Hopefully as the future research progress, new lights will be shed on characterization of components in the extract and the mechanisms through which they provide antioxidant activity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.