Abstract
Salvadora persica L. is one of the oldest known oral hygiene tools with high therapeutic effects on cariogenic bacteria and periodontal pathogens due to its well documented chemical constituents. In this paper, and for the first time, we report the use of RP-HPLC technique to identify the polyphenols in the acetone 80 extract obtained from stems of S. persica. The antioxidant properties (total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and tannin content, DPPH, reducing power, and beta-carotene bleaching tests) of the extract were also investigated. Our results showed the presence of eleven compounds: caffeic acid (5.82%), rutin trihydrate (2%), trans-cinnamic acid (1.58%), gallic acid (1.53%), resorcinol (1.33%), chlorogenic acid (1.14%), quercetin dihydrate (0.67%), naphtho-resorcinol (0.48%), catechine hydrate (0.24%), p-coumaric acid (0.11%), and 3.4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (0.01%). The diluted acetone extract showed weak antioxidant activities comparatively to the BHT (DPPH IC50 75 mu g/ml; reducing power EC50, 1940 mu gml(-1) and IC50= 460 mu g/ml for the beta-carotene bleaching test). The total antioxidant activity was estimated at 0.528 mg GAE.g(-1) DW, the total phenolic content was 0.443 mg GAE.g(-1) DW and the total condensed tannin were 0.39 mg EC.g(-1) DW. These results confirm the wide range of the biological activities of S. persica and reinforce the use of this plant of a natural source of antioxidant compounds with benefic properties for Human health.