ABSTRACT
Antioxidative activities [IC50] of ethanol extracts from seven Umbelliferae fruits [Bunium persicum, Coriandrum sativum, Cuminum cyminum, Foeniculum vulgare, Heracleum persicum, Pimpinella anisum and Trachyspermum copticum] have been studied by the DPPH [2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl] radical scavenging test. All the studied extracts showed antioxidant capability and P. anisum extract exhibited the strongest activity. The scavenging activity of the extracts in decreasing order was: P. anisum > T. copticum > C. cyminum > F. vulgare >/= B. persicum >/= C. sativum > H. persicum. The extracts were also investigated regarding their total flavonoid contents by the AlCl[3] technique. The decreasing order of the flavonoid content of the extracts was: C. cyminum > T. copticum > P. anisum >/= H. persicum >/= B. persicum >/= F. vulgare >/= C. sativum. However, a favorable correlation was not found between the antioxidant activity and the total flavonoid content of the extracts. As well, the most active extract [i.e. P. anisum] was partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate to yield three organic fractions together with the remaining aqueous fraction. The antioxidative activities [IP%] and flavonoid contents of the fractions were also determined. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest activity and content. A positive correlation was found between the antioxidant potency and flavonoid content of the fractions