Antioxidant activity in some species of aquatic plants.

Carolina R. Muller1*, Conceição de F. A. Olguin1
1Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Toledo/PR, Brasil
R. da Faculdade, 645 - Jardim La Salle, Toledo - PR, 85903-000
[email protected]

The presence of free radicals and oxidants in the human body can potentiate diseases related to aging. Free radicals are controlled by antioxidants by blocking or slowing down their effect, which makes the antioxidant study necessary. In the literature, there is a great number of publications regarding the search for plants with antioxidant effect, however the study related to macrophytes (aquatic plants) is still scarce1. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and total phenols of the hydroalcoholic extracts of root and aerial parts of the plants: Ludwigia peploides ((Kunth) P.H. Raven, Onagraceae), (Paspalum repens (P.J. Bergius Poaceae), (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms Pontederiaceae), (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (L.f.) Araliaceae), (Lemna valdiviana (Phil.) Araceae), (Salvinia auriculata Aubl. Salviniaceae) and (Azolla caroliniana, Azollaceae). The antioxidant activity was determined by the methods of DPPH1, and the chelating ion activity of the Fe2+. Total phenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method2. The main results obtained with Eichhornia were a percentage of antioxidant activity of 687.0 ± 45.2, Paspalum with CE 701.81 ± 3.40 mg.mL-1 and 32.20 ± 0,4167 µg.mL-1 of total phenols, and Ludwigia with %AQ 10,22013 ± 4,62 µg.g-1, as in table 1s. Considering the values obtained by the analyzed extracts, it can be concluded that the antioxidant activity is present and significant in each of them, which emphasizes even more the importance of the development of this study for possible medicinal applications.
Key words: antioxidant activity, aquatic plants, total phenols
1. Sousa, C. M. de M. et al. Fenóis totais e atividade antioxidante de cinco plantas medicinais. Quim. Nova 30, 351–355 (2007).
2. Soares, I. M. et al. Conteúdo fenólico e atividade antioxidante de diferentes cultivares de ipomoea batatas ( l .) lam . obtidas por melhoramento genético para produção industrial de etanol. 35, 479–488 (2014).