Antioxidant activity of extracts and condensed tannins from leaves of maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss [Atividade antioxidante de extratos e taninos condensados das folhas de maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss]

Pessuto Monica Bordin, Casemiro da Costa Isis, Boldieri de Souza Angelita, Nicoli Fernanda Michely, Palazzo de Mello Joao Carlos, Petereit Frank, Luftmann Heinrich

Abstract

Maytenus ilicifolia (Celastraceae) is a native plant of South America and popularly known as "espinheira-santa". The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of extracts and isolated compounds from this plant. The antioxidant activity of the crude and semipurified extracts and isolated compounds was evaluated through DPPH-radical and phosphomolybdenum- complex assays. By both methods, the ethyl-acetate fraction demonstrated better antioxidant capacity compared with vitamin C and trolox. In the compounds, the higher the number of hydroxyls, the greater the antioxidant activity. In addition, stereochemistry influenced antioxidant activity, i.e., compounds with 2R,3R showed greater activity than those with 2R,3S.