Peru, a South American country, is recognized by the 12 megadiverse countries on earth. For centuries, the indigenous population of the Andean region of Peru has consumed a great diversity of plants. According to folk use, these plants have nutritional and medicinal properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the total phenolic and flavonoids compounds by spectrophotometric methods and the antioxidant activities using two assays (FRAP and ORAC) in leaves bud of the plants from Lambayeque-Peru. The samples of Eucalyptus, Gaultheria sp, and Caesalpinia spinosa were collected in the Andean region of Lambayeque-Andamarca (altitude from 3450 msnm). Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method was carried out to determine the total content of polyphenols and aluminum chloride for flavonoid contents. Eucalyptus showed 1217.7 ±72.4 mg EAG g-1 of total phenolic compounds and 19.2 ±1.5 mg EC g1 of flavonoids. Caesalpinia spinosa showed 2060.0±49.8 mg EAG g-1 for phenolic compounds and 41.54±2.6 mg EC g-1 to flavonoids. Highest antioxidant activity was observed in Caesalpinia spinosa (3144.11 ±143.4 µmol ET/g) in FRAP assay, and ORAC assay was not observed significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) among the samples. The plants with highest phenolic compounds content exhibited the highest antioxidant activities. Our results call attention due to their high phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activities in unexplored specimens, and indicate that these plants can be considered as potential sources of natural antioxidant.
Keywords: Peruvian nutritional plants, Andean region of Peru, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity.