Determination of the Total Antioxidant Capacity and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds of Different Solvent Extracts of Black Mustard Seeds (Brassica nigra)

The total antioxidant capacity of Brassica nigra seeds (black mustard seeds) and the presence of phenolic compounds which are known to exist in seeds of this family were quantified. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2, 2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging assays were conducted on dichloromethane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, hexane, methanol, and water extracts of the seeds. Water and ethanol extracts displayed the highest antioxidant activity. Phenolic compounds which have been known to demonstrate antioxidant properties such as catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and rutin were present in all extracts.