Antioxidant Activity of some Nutraceuticals Based on Romanian Black and Red Fruits Mixed Extracts

Abstract

With content rich in polyphenols, carotenoids vitamins, minerals and many other bioactive compounds, fruits extracts from Morus nigra L. – black mulberry (blackberry) from Moraceae family, Cerasus avium (syn. Prunus avium) Moench. - bitter cherry from Rosaceae family, Cornus mas L. – cornelian cherry from Cornaceae family, may be useful as a supplementary treatment and especially in preventing many diseases which arise from action of oxidative stress. The aim of this paper is to obtain selected syrups with an increased antioxidant activity based on a mixture of fluids extracts from Morus nigra L. , Cerasus avium (syn. Prunus avium) Moench. and Cornus mas L. indigenous Romanian fruits. Fluid extracts were obtained using different extraction methods (maceration, reflux) and solvents (ethylic alcohol 40% and 70%). The obtained fluid extracts were mixed in different molar ratio and analysed for their physical-chemical properties, total polyphenols assay (Folin–Ciocalteu assay) and total antioxidative capacity by photochemiluminescence method (ACL, Analytik Jena AG procedure). The selected mixed fluid extracts with greatest content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity were used for syrups obtaining. The new obtained syrups were analysed for their physical-chemical properties (appearance, pH and relative density), polyphenols content and total antioxidative capacity. Preliminary results emphasize that syrups with highest antioxidant activity correlated with the polyphenols content would represent a possible new stimulating nutraceuticals that could be used in oxidative stress associated to different diseases.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n1s2p199