PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Juniperus phoenicea ssp. phoenicea L. EXTRACTS FROM TWO TUNISIAN LOCATIONS

The antioxidant potency of Juniperus phoenicea ssp. phoenicea leaf extracts from two Tunisian localities was investigated. Total antioxidant activity was determined using an ABTS and DPPH assays. In addition, the content of phenols and total flavonoids were measured in the tested extracts. The methanol and ethyl acetate extracts exhibit potent scavenging activities towards ABTS and DPPH radical cations. Whereas, the petroleum ether extracts exhibit a low scavenging activity due to their poverty of total polyphenolic and flavonoid content. The antioxidant activities exhibited by J. phoenicea ssp. phoenicea depended on the chemical composition of the tested extracts.