Evaluation of antioxidant, antiradicalic and antimicrobial activities of olive pits (Olea europaea L.)

© 2014, National Centre for Agrarian Sciences. All rights reserved.The antioxidant and radical scavenging properties of olive pits (Olea europaea L.) were investigated through the following analyses in this study: The total antioxidant activity by the ferric thiocyanate method; 2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazole-6- sulphonate) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity; superoxide anion radical (O2 -) scavenging activity; the total reduction power by the potassium ferricyanide reduction method; Cupric ions (Cu2+)reduction capacity by the Cuprac method; hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and chelating activity of ferrous ions (Fe2+). Besides, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the olive pits (OP) were determined. In addition, α-tocopherol, butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA) and quercetin were used as reference antioxidant compounds. OP-aqueous and OP-ethanol extractsboth exhibited the highest phenol (OP-AE:95.3; OP-EE: 144.3 μg GAE mg-1 extract) and flavonoid (OP-AE: 183.7; OP-EE:262.4μg QE mg-1 extract) contents, and displayed the highest antioxidant activity. In addition, OP-AE and OP-EE exhibited higher antibacterial activity against eleven bacteria with Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) values, ranging from 12.50 to 250 mu l/mL.