DETERMINATION OF THE CONCENTRATION OF PHENOLIC ACIDS AND THE ANTIRUST POTENTIAL OF THE DIFFERENT FRACTIONS OF THE LEAF EXTRACT OF Dicksonia sellowiana, (Presl.) Hook, DICKSON IACEAE

Abstract

Dicksonia sellowiana, a tipical plant from Atlantic Forest, is popularly known by xaxim or samambaiacu. The xaxim is used to make supports for ornamental plants; as well as is used against scabies, itch in the body and solitaria by the indians, and popularly is used as fibre source. Studies have shown medical value in the breath system. Knowing the increasing search for phytoterapics with antioxidant action against free radicals, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potencial antioxidant of the hexane, the diclorometane and the ethyl acetate fractions, as well as of the total extract of Dicksonia sellowiana leaves, and to verify the phenolic compounds concentration of these fractions. The Folin-Ciocalteau method was used to determine the phenolic acids doses, using acid galic as a phenolic compound standard. The antioxidant activity was determined by the phosphomolybdenum complex reduction, using vitamin C and rutin as antioxidants standards. The increasing values of phenolic acids concentration and of antioxidant activity are: hexane fraction, total extract, diclorometane fraction and ethyl acetate fraction. These results showed that the phenolic compounds of xaxim had significant contribution to the antioxidant activity, and, regarding that these compounds have the higher concentration in the ethyl acetate fraction, this fraction has the more significant antioxidant activity, which can be studied for the action against the free radicals. Key words: Dicksonia sellowiana, phenolic acids, antioxidant activity.