Effects of different ecological and phenological factors on antioxidant activity and phenolic content of Ornithogalum sigmoideum Freyn & Sint. from Turkey

Abstract

The quality and quantity of metabolites in plants responsible for biological activities are influenced by a multitude of factors, chief among them, environmental. Furthermore, part of the plant to be tested and selected extraction solvent affect these kinds of activities. Ethanol and water extracts of above ground and below ground parts of the Ornithogalum sigmoideum Freyn & Sint. collected from different altitudes of Ordu province at two different period (begining and end of flowering) were studied in terms of phenolic contents and antioxidative activities. Thus, the effect of four different factors (altitude, flowering period, plant section, extraction solvent) on these parameters were examined. Both the main effects and the interactions of these factors were evaluated separately, and it was concluded that quaternary interaction was statistically significant on the antioxidant activity tested according to the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. Binary interactions such as altitude*solvent and section*solvent were statistically significant on total phenolic content values. On the other hand, section*solvent and altitude*period*section interactions were statistically significant for 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity.