International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition

Authors
Faten Mezni, Awatef Slama, Mohamed Larbi Khouja, Abdelhamid Khaldi

Abstract
The mastic tree is a widespread plant in the Mediterranean Basin. This plant is known for its therapeutic qualities and its diverse biological properties. Тhe aim of this study was to determine in vitro antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content of six different extracts from plant parts (leaves, shoots and roots) of Pistacia lentiscus L. Solvents used for extracts preparation were water and methanol. Antioxidant activity was analyzed in vitro using DPPH reagent. The total phenolic content in the extracts was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The IC50 obtained ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 mg/mL. The total phenolic amounts ranged between 1.31 to 5.35 mg GA/g. Methanol extracts showed the most important antioxidant activity and the lowest IC50 values. A high correlation was determined between the antioxidant activity and the total phenols of the extracts. Based on these results of investigation, it could be concluded that P. lentiscus is a natural source of phenolic compounds as antioxidans of high value.