Antioxidant Compounds from Levisticum officinale Koch

Abstract

Levisticum officinale, known as Lovage, belongs to Apiaceae family and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in traditional medicine. In this study, the antioxidant activity of different extracts including n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol of both aerial parts and roots was evaluated. The antioxidant activity of the samples including (extracts and fractions) was studied by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Dot blot assay. Finally, the active compounds were isolated through column chromatography and then identified by NMR spectroscopy. Among tested extracts, ethyl acetate extract of the root had a high antioxidant activity. Thus, this extract became a candidate to isolate its active compounds. Finally, three compounds, namely, bergapten, ferulic acid, and vanillin were isolated as active compounds from one of the active fractions. This study indicated that vanillin, bergapten, and ferulic acid are responsible for antioxidant activity in some fractions of L. officinale. Further studies are suggested to evaluate the components of other active fractions.