Crepis foetida subsp. rhoeadifolia, Erigeron caucasicus subsp. venustus, Hieracium bornmuelleri, Leontodon crispus var. asper, Pilosella hoppeana subsp. testimonialis and Reichardia glauca belonging to the Asteraceae family, were evaluated for their antioxidant activities and phytochemical analysis of the tested extracts was carried out in current study. Antioxidant activities were investigated by using 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Chemical composition of the extracts was investigated by using some standards such as; phenolic acids; chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, p-coumaric acid and flavonoids; apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, hyperoside, rutin, hesperidin by validated HPLC method. All the tested extracts exhibited antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging test. The aerial part extracts of P. hoppeana subsp. testimonialis, C. foetida subsp. rhoeadifolia and both aerial parts and roots of L. crispus var. asper were determined as the most active. The highest inhibitory effect of L. crispus var. asper roots was also revealed by measuring MDA levels. According to the phytochemical analysis chlorogenic acid was detected in all species investigated except for R. glauca aerial parts.
Keywords: Asteraceae, Chlorogenic acid, DPPH, HPLC, MDA