Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate lipids (fatty acids, sterols and tocopherols) profile of Pulicaria incisa, Diplotaxis harra and Avicennia marina grown in Egypt. Linoleic acid followed by palmitic and oleic acids were the major fatty acids in the P. incisa. Oleic followed by stearic were the main acids in D. harra, while palmitic followed by oleic were the major fatty acids found in A. marina. Sterol markers of P. incisa were campesterol followed by stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol. In D. harra beta-sitosterol followed by stigmasterol and Delta 5-avensterol were the major sterols, while campesterol followed by beta-sitosterol and Delta 7-avensterol were main sterols of A. marina. Tocopherols were also estimated in high levels, wherein delta-tocopherol was the main tocopherol in all plants. Antioxidant properties of methanolic extracts of the plants were compared with methanolic solution of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid during thiocyanate assay. Moreover, methanolic extracts of the whole plants exhibited strong antiradical potential against DPH radicals. Information provided by the present study is of importance for further investigations of P. incisa, D. harra and A. marina and utilization of the plants as a raw material of bioactive compounds.