Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Composition of the Essential oil of Ducrosia anethifolia (DC.) Boiss. from Neyriz

Abstract

<em>Ducrosia anethifolia</em> (DC.) Boiss. is belongs to the Apiaceae family. It is one of the three species of Iranian <em>Ducrosia</em> Boiss. species growing wild in several areas of the country. In this research, we extracted the essential oil and it analyzed by GC/MS. The analysis of essential oil from leaves of <em>D. anethifolia</em> about 19 constituents was identifed and percentage composition was determined (94.9%). The major constituents identified by this method were α-pinene (70.3%), β-myrcene (6.9%), β-pinene (6.3%), limonene (4.9%). So, extracts of this species extracted by maceration method and antioxidant activity evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•). Results showed that antioxidant activity of <em>D. anethifolia</em> in ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts are less than Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as a synthetic antioxidant which used for positive control. Although, antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract is more than ethyl acetate extract, but inhibitory power of this extracts is low.