Determination of Total Phenol and Antioxidant Activity of Various Extracts of Pistacia atlantica and Identification of Its Essential Oil Composition

چکیده مقاله

Pistacia atlantica is a medicinal plant widely recognized for its phenolic and antioxidant constituents. This study aimed to evaluate the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of various extracts and fractions of P. atlantica fruit, and to identify the major components of its essential oil and hexane extract. Fruits were collected from Ardakan, Fars (Iran) in November 2024. Methanolic and hexane extracts were prepared via maceration and Soxhlet extraction, respectively. The methanolic extract was further partitioned into butanol, ethyl acetate, hexane, and water fractions. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The butanol fraction exhibited the highest total phenolic content (expressed as gallic acid equivalent), followed by the ethyl acetate fraction. Regarding antioxidant capacity, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest activity with an average IC50 of 26.58 μg/mL, followed by the butanol fraction with an IC50 of 29.47 μg/mL. Both fractions demonstrated high DPPH inhibition percentages (above 83%) at higher concentrations. The hexane and water fractions showed comparatively lower antioxidant activities. GC-MS analysis of the essential oil identified α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene as the predominant volatiles, while the hexane extract contained fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. These findings highlight the strong antioxidant capacity of the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions, and the presence of key bioactive compounds. This supports the potential application of P. atlantica as a natural antioxidant source in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.