ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS OBTAINED BY DIFFERENT ISOLATION PROCEDURES FROM SOME AROMATIC HERBS GROWN IN LITHUANIA

An increasing demand for natural additives has shifted the attention f rom synthetic to natural antioxidants. The present work examines the p otential of some aromatic herbs grown in Lithuania as a source of natu ral antioxidants: marjoram (Majorana hortensis Moench), catnip (Nepeta cataria L), oregano (Origanum vulgare L), lavender (Lavandula angusti folia Mill), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L ), anise hyssop (Lophantus anisatus Benth), and sage (Salvia officinal is L). Dried herb samples were submitted to extraction with supercriti cal CO2, acetone or methanol/water and hydrodistillation. Deodorised h erb samples (after removal of essential oil) were also extracted with acetone. The antioxidant activity of these extracts, essential oils an d dried deodorised aqueous extracts was assessed by the beta-carotene bleaching test (diffusion and spectrophotometric methods). The highest yields of extracts were obtained using polar solvents. Thyme and sage acetone oleoresins showed high antioxidant activity in the tests perf ormed and were regarded as the most promising sources. (C) 1998 SCI.