Evaluation of Total Antioxidant Capacities of Juniperus oxycedrus and Juniperus excelsa Seed Extracts

Abstract

The objective of this study was to obtain extracts from Juniperus oxycedrus and Juniperus excelsa seeds collected from the Taurus region in Turkey using ethanol and water. The total antioxidant capacity of these extracts was determined. The seeds were dried in an oven and underwent a subsequent microwave heat treatment. The extracts obtained through treatment with solvents were filtered using filter paper and utilized in the analyses. Total phenolic content was assessed through the Folin-Ciocalteu method and quantified as Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE). Total flavonoid content was determined using the AlCl3 method and calculated as quercetin equivalent (QE). The total antioxidant capacity was measured via the ABTS method and reported as Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC). Based on the results obtained, the yield of total antioxidant capacity exceeded that of ethanol extracts (11.37±0.67 mmol/g TEAC). The total phenolic content and the total flavonoid content were found to be higher in the distilled water extracts than in the ethanol extracts (33.75 ± 1.90 mg/g GAE and 16.31 ± 0.77 mg/g QE, respectively). The importance of the seeds of J. oxycedrus and J. excelsa as a possible source of natural antioxidants is highlighted by these discoveries, which may have implications for a variety of uses in the food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors.