Antioxidant Activity of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. in Model and Food Systems

Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. is a sweet-smelling, self-growing plant which is traditionally consumed in Iran as a garnish. Little, however, is known about its potential antioxidant activity. In this study, the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract of the plant was evaluated using b-carotene bleaching assay, reducing power, thiocyanate, accelerated oxidation of sunflower oil, and DPPH radical-scavenging. In DPPH and reducing power models the antioxidant activity of the plant extract was generally found to be less effective than that of ascorbic acid, but it was comparable to and/or greater than the activities of a-tocopherol and BHT. Although the antioxidant activity of BHT in b-carotene bleaching assay was greater than that of the sample, the difference was not significant (q < 0.01). Ascorbic acid showed low activity in this assay. The activity of the plant extract in the thiocyanate model system was lower than that of BHT but greater than that of a-tocopherol. The methanolic extract inhibited the oxidation of sunflower oil at 60 ± 3 C more efficiently than did  BHT.

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