Antioxidant aand antimicrobial activity of herbal teas made from Hungarian medicinal plants

Abstract

Total phenol content and antioxidant activity of herbal teas made from different Hungarian medicinal plants, chamomile (Matricaria recutita), rose hip (Rosa canina), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and yarrow (.Achillea millefolium) were determined. Total phenol content and ferric reducing power was highest in rose hip samples (6216 mg GAE/100 g and 1984 mg AE/100 g) followed by yarrow, chamomile and stinging nettle. Radical scavenging activity of some rose hip and yarrow samples were very similar (78.5 and 77.8%). There were significant differences in the measured values of the same teas from different producers. We found strong correlation between total phenol content and ferric reducing power, and also good correlation between phenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity, indicating that heat resistant phenolics were mainly responsible for the antioxidant activity of herbal teas. According to our results, herb teas with the highest phytochemical content and antioxidant activity were purchased from the same producer indicating the importance of adequate handling of the herbs.