Extraction of antioxidants from plants using ultrasonic methods and their antioxidant capacity

The analytical method based on the HPLC coupled with UV detection (HPLC-UV) for the determination of selected antioxidants (i.e. esculetin, scopoletin, 7-hydroxycoumarine, rutin, xanthotoxin, 5-methoxypsoralen and quercetin) in plant material was developed. Two ultrasonic extraction methods for the isolation of these compounds from the plants such as Mentha longifolia L., Mentha spicata L., Ruta graveolens L., Achyllea millefolium L., Plantago lanceolata L. and Coriandrum sativum L. were used. Both of these methods, i.e. ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic bath, were optimised and compared to each other. For the proposed HPLC-UV method LOQ values in the range from 22.7 (xanthotoxin) up to 97.2 ng/mL (rutin) were obtained. For all extracts the antioxidant capacity based on the reduction of free 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical was also determined. Obtained results ranged from 10.11 up to 73.50% of DPPH radical inhibition.