The effects of different inorganic salts, buffer systems, and desalting of Varthemia crude water extract on DPPH radical scavenging activity

The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of 25 inorganic salts, two buffer systems, and crude water extract of aerial parts of Varthemia (Varthemia iphionoides) before and after resins purification were investigated. Eight of the 25 inorganic salts tested quenched the DPPH radical colour. Na2S2O3 and FeCl2 showed markedly high DPPH colour-quenching activity, with inhibition of 65.3% and 47.7% respectively, at a concentration of 10 μg/ml. Four salts slightly increased the intensity of DPPH radical colour. The rest of tested salts, acetate buffer, and phosphate buffer at a concentration less than 0.1 mM did not affect DPPH radical colour. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of BHT and catechol was considerably affected by the concentration of phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), and by acetate buffer (pH 5.0) at concentrations more than 0.01 mM in the case of BHT only. The DPPH radical-scavenging activity of a crude water extract of aerial parts of Varthemia iphionoides was much higher than that of an extract desalted by cation-exchange resin, indicating that iron ions apparently elevated the DPPH radical-scavenging activity of the extract. Therefore, desalting of plant extracts is important in order to obtain the true value of DPPH radical-scavenging activity.