The antioxidant and Flavonoids contents of Althaea officinalis L. flowers based on their color.

OBJECTIVE

There has been a growing interest in finding plants with biological active ingredients for medicinal application.

METHODS

Three colors of petals of Althaea officinalis (A. officinalis) flowers, i.e., pink, reddish pink, and white were examined for total antioxidant activity and flavonoids content.

RESULTS

The reddish pink flowers of A. officinalis have more antioxidant activity and the power of antioxidant activity was reddish pink > pink > white.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that the dark color can serve as an indicator of antioxidant content of the plant. Flavonoid content was highest in white flower thus this result indicated that flowers with light color can be considered for medicinal uses.