Phytochemicals and antioxidant properties of extracts from the root and stems of Anabasis articulata

Anabasis articulata is a one of many Saharan plants, widely used in Algerian folk medicine for their medicinal properties. For the first time, antioxidant properties of stems and root extracts were investigated by different methods, e.g. Total Antioxidant Activity, Reducing Power, DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity and β-Carotene Bleaching Assay. The quantitative determination of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, flavonols, condensed tannins and carotenoids was also reported. Results showed that stems exhibit a higher level of phenolic compounds (25.48 mg GAE/g DW) as compared to roots (19.85 mg/g DW). Total Antioxidant Activity in the two parts of the plant showed no significant difference. All extracts showed different levels of antioxidant properties in the test models used. Root crude extract showed the highest activity to reducing power with an IC50 of 0.36 mg mL-1, to scavenge DPPH radical with an EC50 of 0.57 mg mL-1 and to inhibit the oxidation of β-carotene with an EC50 of 0.22 mg mL-1.