POLYPHENOLS PROFILE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF SOME ROMANIAN RANUNCULUS SPECIES.

The Ranunculus species are mostly known for their toxic effect due to the anemonine and protoanemonine content. This paper studies the polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of four different spontaneous species from Ranunculus genus (Ranunculaceae family) harvested from Western Romania's spontaneous flora. The polyphenols profile was established by TLC and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by different in vitro methods: DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, CUPRAC and SNP. From the studied species were prepared two different extracts: hydroalcoholic extracts (HA) respectively glycerol-ethanol extracts (GE). The study indicates that the highest total flavonoid content is in R. ficaria herb HA extract (23 % mg/ml), while the total phenolic acids are the highest in R. bulbosus herb GE extract (14,88 % mg/ml). The most important antioxidant activity was observed at GE extracts obtained from herb of R. ficaria, R. sardous and R. bulbosus. With the less antioxidant effect are the R. sceleratus extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]