The goal of this study was to screen different extracts of medicinal
plants for their phenolics profile and antioxidant activities.
Antiradical properties of the plant extracts were compared using stable
DPPH-. Generally, ethanolic extracts had the strongest antiradical
activities followed by ethyl acetate and finally hexane extracts. The
ethanolic extracts of different plants were also markedly effective in
inhibiting the oxidation of linoleic acid and the subsequent bleaching
of β-carotene in comparison with the control. The content of phenolic
compounds (mg/g) in different extracts expressed in gallic acid
equivalents (GAE), varied between 1.2 and 15.3. In all plant samples
ethanolic extracts contained the highest levels of total phenolics and
total flavonoids followed by ethyl acetate extracts and finally hexane
extracts. The results are important for using those plants in different
food and pharmaceutical applications.