Antioxidant activity and polyphenol content of Turkish thyme (Thymus vulgaris) monitored by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

Like tea, the leaves of Turkish thyme (Thymus vulgaris) can be boiled in water to produce an extract. This is widely used as syrup for the treatment of coughs and bronchitis at alternative medicine clinics in many parts of the world. In the current study, we assessed the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of thyme. The antioxidant activities of both ethanol and aqueous extracts of thyme were determined using various in vitro methods. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were determined to be a gallic acid equivalent and a quercetin equivalent, respectively. Finally, the quantities of the phenolic compounds were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The total phenolic compounds in the aqueous extract and ethanol extracts of Turkish thyme were 256.0 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg dried extract and 158.0 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg dried extract, respectively. Conversely, the total flavonoid compounds in both extracts were 44.2 μg and 36.6 μg quercetin equivalent/mg dried extract, respectively. For the first time, we determined phenolic contents and investigated the antioxidant potential of thyme. The results indicate that Turkish thyme is a good dietary source with phenolic properties.     

Comparison of lactic acid bacteria diversity during the fermentation of Tarhana produced at home and on a commercial scale

Food Science and Biotechnology - In this study, lactic acid bacteria diversity during the fermentation of homemade and commercially prepared Tarhana, a traditional fermented cereal food from...     

Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of Two Edible Plants: Chemical Investigation and Quantitative Analysis Using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

The objectives of this study were to define the phenolic and fatty acid profiles, anticholinesterase, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities, and total phenolic-flavonoid contents of Lycopsis orientalis and Tragopogon latifolius var. angustifolius which have been used as food source and food supplement in Anatolia and have never been examined before. Rosmarinic and quinic acids (21.11 and 11.46 mg g^–1 extract, respectively) were found to be the most abundant constituents in L. orientalis and T. latifolius var. angustifolius among the studied 27 compounds by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. In the fatty acid compositions of L. orientalis and T. latifolius var. angustifolius that were determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry, oleic (29.1%) and palmitic (28.7%) acids were identified as the major components, respectively. The high antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of L. orientalis shows parallelism to its rosmarinic acid content. Besides, this extract showed medium anticholinesterase activity. The results of the present study proves that the L. orientalis might also be used as a food source due to its high phenolic acid content and strong antioxidant property.