[P-065]
COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF Hypericum perfoliatum FROM GREECE

Paraskevi Baziou1, Maria Couladis1, Panos Petrakis2,
Evmorfia Verykokidou1 and Catherine Harvala1
1Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens,
Panepistimioupolis, Zografou 15771, Greece
2Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Informatics and Biodiversity, Group of Natural
Resource Monitoring, Aharnon 381, 11143 Athens, Greece

Hypericum is a large genus comprising 400 species widespread on temperate regions and tropical mountains [1]. Forty-three species are found in the Hellenic peninsula (Greece) and on Aegean islands and coasts (Greece and Turkey), eight of which are endemics [2].

Hypericum spp. have been used as herbal remedies for the therapy of various diseases since ancient times [3]. In particular, Hypericum perforatum belongs to a group of pharmacologically well documented medicinal plants. Numerous clinical data have revealed its effectiveness in the treatment of mild depressions [4].

The aim of this work is the comparative study of the essential oils of Hypericum perfoliatum, from two regions, Preveza and Korinthos.

The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of the plant material. The analysis of the oils was carried out using GC/MS.

The major constituents of H. perfoliatum, in the sample collected from Preveza were a-pinene (48.55%) and n-nonane (8.52%). For the sample collected from Korinhtos the major components were a-pinene (34.23%) and b-pinene (9.22%).

In this study antioxidant activity of the oils was evaluated using an in vitro method. The method was based on coupled oxidation of b-carotene and linoleic acid. The technique was developed by Marco [5] and modified by Miller [6] and by Pratt [7]. It measures the bleaching of b-carotene resulting from the degradation products of linoleic acid. H. perfoliatum from Preveza showed greater antioxidant potential than H. perfoliatum from Korinthos.

References

  1. Hutchinson J. (1969): Evolution and Phytogeny of Flowering Plants: Dicotyledons, Facts and Theory, Academic Press London. 315.
  2. Strid A. et al. (1991): Mountain flora of Greece, Edinburgh University Press, 1.
  3. Herbalgram (1997): Special section, 40.
  4. Ernst E. (1995): Phytomedicine, 2, 67.
  5. Marco G.L. (1968): JAOCS, 45, 594.
  6. Miller H.E. (1971): Ibid., 48, 91.
  7. Pratt D.E. (1976): In: Phenolic, Sulfur and Nitrogen Compounds in Food Flavor, edited by G. Charalambous and I. Katz, ACS Symposium Series No 26.
[Full paper: P-065]
[P-065]