In vitro antioxidant properties of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench

The choleretic, hepatoprotective and detoxifying activities of the inflores cence of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench (everlasting, immortelle: Astera ceae-Helichrysi flos syn. Stoechados flos) have been known for a long time from herbal medicine in Hungary. Antioxidant properties of its main phenoli cs, flavonoids, are supposed to be responsible for these effects. The aim o f this study is to verify the antioxidant properties of the lyophilized wat er extracts from inflorescences, and to define the total polyphenol and fla vonoid contents in Helichrysi flos water extracts as well as in lyophilized water extracts. The hydrogen-donating ability and the reducing power prope rty of the lyophilizates were determined spectrophotometrically; their OH. scavenging activity was measured, in the H2O2/OH.-luminol-microperoxidase s ystem, by a chemiluminometric method. Results were compared with the activi ty of the flavonoid silibinin, the main agent of the well-known milk thistl e (Silybum marianum L.). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.