ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF POLYPHENOLIC RICH MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM. EXTRACTS IN FOOD SYSTEMS

Moringa oleifera Lam. has long been used in traditional medicine and for culinary purposes. This study aimed at determining the phenolic content as well as the antioxidative properties of leaf and pod extracts of M. oleifera Lam. in vitro and in mayonnaise and bulk sunflower oil. The methanolic leaf and pod extracts (MLE and MPE) had the highest phenolic content and exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential (FRAP) assay (1,298 +/- 4.1 mu mol Fe [II]/g fresh weight) compared with the aqueous extracts. Moreover, MLE was the most effective free radical scavenger and metal chelator in the deoxyribose and iron chelation assays, respectively. The antioxidant efficacy of MLE and MPE at 0.2 and 0.4% was compared with that of butylated hydroxytoluene (0.02%) in bulk sunflower oil and mayonnaise. The peroxide and conjugated diene values showed that the extracts effectively protected both systems. MLE at 0.4% exhibited the most potent antioxidant effect.