Extraction of Polyphenols from Oregano and Thyme by Maceration using Glycerine Zam Wissam1,*, Ali Ali2, Husein Farah2 1Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Andalus University for Medical Sciences, Tartous, Syria 2Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Technical Engineering, Tartous University, Tartous, Syria *Corresponding Author E-mail: ws.sarah2005@gmail.com; w.zam@au.edu.sy
Online published on 4 July, 2020. Abstract Oregano and thyme are plants belonging to Lamiaceae family and are considered a rich source of polyphenols. The aim of this study is to determine the amount of polyphenols and the antioxidant capacity of oregano, thyme and their 1:1 mixture. Extracts were prepared by maceration (from 1 to 15 days) using glycerin at a concentration of 95%. The phenolic content of these extracts was calculated by Folin-Ciocalteau assay, whereas DPPH (2,2diphenyl-1-picrylhudrazyl) test was used to determine the antioxidant capacity. Oregano had the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity while thyme had the lowest values. The best time of maceration was at 10 days for all extracts. In conclusion, results showed that glycerin could be used as an important green solvent in the extraction of polyphenols from plant materials; also increasing the maceration period to 10 days is better for both phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Top Keywords Oregano, Thyme, Polyphenols, maceration, glycerin. Top |