EVALUATION OF ASCORBIC ACID AND PHENOLIC CONTENT OF FOUR TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN MEDICINAL BERRY SPECIES

Abstract

This paper analyzes the total phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid in water, methanol extracts from four selected wild fruits originally from the Bukovina area, namely, sea-buckthorn (Hippophaerhamnoides L), cranberry bush (Viburnum opulus L.), hawthorn (Crataegusmonogyna L.), and rosehip (Rosa Canina L.), used as tea beverages or as decoction for medicinal purposes. Ascorbic acid was separated, identified and dosed in fruit extracts by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); the total phenolics were determined as gallic acid equivalents GAE/100 g FW, by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The levels of berries mean ascorbic content in the four different families ranged from 112.87 (Viburnum opulus L) to 224.21 mg/kg of fresh weight (Crataegusmonogyna L.). The total phenolic content ranges from 4.38 mg GAE/kg FW (Hippophaerhamnoides L) to 11.09 mg GAE/kg FW (Crataegusmonogyna L.). These results suggest that the Crataegusmonogyna L. extract is a rich source of natural antioxidants.