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Abstract
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Antioxidants are compounds which have great importance to reduce oxidative stress and prevention of damage to biological molecules. Myrtus communis L., known as true myrtle, is one of the important aromatic and medicinal plants, and has been used by locals for its culinary and medicinal properties since antiquity [1]. This plant has many biological activities such as antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral) and antioxidant [2, 3]. This plant cou;d have different capacities to produce antioxidant compounds at different phenological stages. To achieve their goal, breeders must consider the proper harvest time to reach the best yield for their target purposes, such as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries applications. For this reason, the antioxidant ativity was studied in different phenological growth stages of Myrtus communis. In vitro antioxidant activity was investigated in a dose-dependent manner 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Statistical analysis of this experiment showed that the antioxidant activity was significantly different in various phenological stages of this plant. The results indicated that the IC50 values in the vegetative stages, full flowering stage, early development of seeds stage, late-mature stages, and ripe seeds stage were 467, 509, 30, 764, and 847 µg/mL, respectively. So, the extracts obtained from early development of seeds stage had the highest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the results of the present study could provide useful information to guide the application of Myrtus communis in food and pharmaceutical fields.
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