Antioxidant activity of extracts from Lavandula vera MM cell cultures

The antioxidant activity of methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts from Lavandula vera MM cell culture were evaluated by the Schaal oven test in bulk sunflower oil and by the DPPH radical method. The oil oxidation was followed by measuring the quantity of primary oxidation products (peroxide value). Authentic rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and BHT were tested in parallel for comparison. Ethyl acetate extract much better protected the oil from oxidation than methanolic extract and its antioxidant efficiency was comparable to that of pure rosmarinic and caffeic acids and much stronger than that of BHT. Both cell culture extracts and the authentic phenolic acids were much stronger scavengers of DPPH free radical than BHT on an equimolar basis.