Study of antioxidant activity and some herbal compounds of Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. in different ages of growth

OBJECTIVE: Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss is one of eight species of Dracocephalum, an endemic species of Iran, and grows in areas such as Isfahan, Yasuj, Mazandaran, and Tabriz. The present study was designed to analyze the antioxidant, phenol and flavonoids contents of this plant under different conditions of cultivation in a completely randomized, factorial design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Shrubs of different ages (two, three, and six) in cultivated rangeland collected from three randomly plant at the end of May 2018 simultaneously with the flowering time. Antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of plant samples were evaluated with DPPH method. Total phenolic compounds and the total content of flavonoids were measured using the Folin Sioukhlu and aluminum chloride methods respectively. RESULTS: The result showed that there was a significant effect of planting time, plant organs and interaction of time and organ on the total antioxidant capacity and total phenol and flavonoids contents. The highest antioxidant activity, total phenol, and total flavonoid have belonged to the flower of six age plants. The highest antioxidant activity, total phenol, and total flavonoid have belonged to the flower of six age. The highest level of antioxidant activity with IC50 15.8489 ± 0.001 μg/ml belonged to the flower of the two-year-old plant, which has a stronger antioxidant activity than the BHT standard with 19.95 μg/ml. CONCLUSION: But in general, it can be said that the six-year-old plant with the highest antioxidant capacity, phenolic, and flavonoid compounds is the best age and mainly flower organ is preferred.