Antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds in commercially grown native Australian herbs and spices

The antioxidant capacities and phenolic composition in six native, commercially grown, Australian herbs and spices were investigated. Tasmannia pepper leaf, followed by anise myrtle and lemon myrtle contained the highest levels of total phenolics (TP; 102.1; 55.9 and 31.4 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight (DW), respectively). Tasmannia pepper leaf exhibited the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC assay) followed by lemon myrtle and anise myrtle. Anise myrtle exhibited the highest total reducing capacity [TRC; Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay], followed by Tasmannia pepper leaf and lemon myrtle. Australian bush tomato, with TP content of 12.4 ± 0.9 mg GAE/gDW and TRC of 206.2 μMol Fe+2/gDW, resembled the Chinese Barbary Wolfberry fruit. The TP content of Tasmannia pepper berry (16.86 mg GAE/gDW) was similar to that of black pepper, but it’s TRC was 25% lower. Cinnamic acids and flavonoids, tentatively identified by mass spectrometry, were identified as the main sources of antioxidant activities.