ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Investigation of the long-term stability of various tinctures belonging to the lamiaceae family by HPLC and spectrophotometry method

Beatrix Sik, Erika Hanczné Lakatos, Viktória Kapcsándi, Rita Székelyhidi, and Zsolt Ajtony

Department of Food Science, Széchenyi István University, Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary

E-mail: sik.beatrix@sze.hu

Received: 29 April 2021  Accepted: 23 June 2021

Abstract:

The aim of the current study was to analyze the stability of rosmarinic acid in ethanolic tinctures of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC–DAD) was employed to monitor the concentration of the marker compound over a six month period. Furthermore, the tinctures were also evaluated for caffeic acid, total phenolic content, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. We observed that the concentration of rosmarinic acid in tincture stored in closed amber glasses at ambient temperature decreased significantly during 6-month storage. Furthermore, our study squarely confirms the fact that a part of rosmarinic acid is converted to caffeic acid. The tested tinctures can be listed in the following order according to the greatest stability of the marker compound: rosemary > peppermint > oregano > lemon balm > thyme > sage. The results of the study indicated a linear relationship between DPPH values and total phenolic (R² = 0.92) or rosmarinic acid (R² = 0.85) contents.

Keywords: Tincture; Stability; Lamiaceae; HPLC; Antioxidant activity; Total phenolic content

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01755-z

Chemical Papers 75 (11) 5781–5791 (2021)