Antioxidant activity and phenol content of plant germplasm originating in the Dead Sea area.

The antioxidative properties of forty-seven plant samples originating from the Ein Gedi Botanical Garden were screened. Their antioxidative activity, determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay and expressed as chlorogenic acid equivalent, ranged from 0.3 to 88 mg/g DW. The total phenol content, determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, ranged from 2-82 mg/g DW. A substantial correlation was found between the antioxidative activity and the total phenol content among species. Tamarix nilotica, Suaeda vera, Acacia raddiana, Lawsonia alba, and Grewia villosa contained the highest antioxidative properties. This work consists of the first screening of the antioxidative properties of indigenous plants from the Dead Sea area. The future introduction of these plants as agricultural crops may provide novel natural sources for antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]