Comparison of antioxidant properties of different mentha piperita species and commercial teas by capillary zone electrophoresis and spectroscopy

Abstract

A comparison of antioxidant properties of ten Mentha species and eleven commercially available peppermint teas was performed by electrophoretic fingerprinting of flavonoids and phenolic acids in aqueous infusions and by spectrophotometric determination of total polyphenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA). Capillary zone electrophoresis with UV detection was used for measurement of fingerprints from the extracts. The antioxidant characteristics were determined by a spectrophotometric method using Folin-Ciocalteu, ABTS radical and DPPH methods. Significant differences were found among various Mentha species and also among different tea brands.