Abstract:

In this study, water and ethanol extracts from Leontopodium leontopodioides were confirmed to be polyphenols, which was mainly composed of flavonoids. The antioxidant activities of the water and ethanol extracts were evaluated by in vitro total reducing power, superoxide anion, hydroxyl and sodium nitrite free radical scavenging capacity, lipid peroxidation inhibition, and nitrosamine synthesis blocking assays. Both the extracts exhibited strong reducing power and scavenging effect against free radicals. Above 60% inhibition rate against lipid peroxidation was observed in the ethanol extract. Moreover, both the extracts revealed strong capacity to scavenge sodium nitrite and block nitrosamine synthesis. The maximum scavenging rate of the water extract against sodium nitrite was 77.7% and the blocking rate of the ethanol extract against nitrosamine synthesis 98%.

Key words: Leontopodium leontopodioides, free radical, antioxidant activity, nitrosamine synthesis blocking