EFFECTS OF DRYING METHODS ON AMOUNTS OF PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOID COMPOUNDS AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA L.

In this study, the effects of some drying methods on the total amount of phenolic and flavonoid substances and antioxidant activity of the Plantago lanceolata L. plant were investigated. The plant samples were divided into three groups; the first group dried in sunlight (P1), the second group dried in a thermostatic oven at 55 °C (P2) and the third group dried in the shade (P3). After drying process, the total phenolic and flavonoid substance amounts, antioxidant activities and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) free radical removal and reducing power capacities of the extracts obtained from the samples belonging to the groups were determined. In this study, the total phenolic substance amounts were determined as 15.65±2.25 mg GAE/g, 15.20 ±1.48 mg GAE/g, 6.97 ±0.26 mg GAE/g in experimental groups, respectively. The flavonoid substances were determined as 83.85 ±3.49 mg QE/g, 57.37 ±7.04 mg QE/g and 53.65 ±3.61 mg QE/g, in experimental groups, respectively. In addition, the highest DPPH radical removal activity and the highest Fe3+-Fe2+ reducing capacity were found in P3 at all concentrations. To conclude, shade-drying is more prefeable than the others with respect to phytochemical content of dried samples of P. lanceolata plant, suggesting that there is a need for new studies on how phytochemical contents are affected by such applications. Keywords: P. lanceolata; storrage; drying; antioxidant.