Estimating Minerals, Antioxidant Activity, Total Phenols, and Carbohydrates in Salvia fruticosa Mill., Urtica urens L., and Urtica pilulifera L. Plants

Abstract

In this, the mineral (Sodium, potassium, and Calcium) contents, antioxidant activity, total phenols, and Carbohydrate concentrations were estimated in the leaves and stems of Salvia fruticosa. Mill. Gard Dict. ed, Urtica urens L.Sp.Pl. and Urticapilulifera L. Sp.Pl. plants. The plant samples were collected from the Al-Gabal Al-Akhder region, around Al-Quba and Derna areas. Some of the instruments used in this study included a Flame photometer for evaluating the mineral contents and a Spectrophotometer for determining the concentrations of Carbohydrate, anti-oxidant, and Total phenols. The results of this study stated that the potassium showed higher values compared with sodium and calcium minerals, where their values were fluctuated in the ranges of (5.56 –36.56) and (32.76 -84.36 ppm) in leaves and stems, respectively. In contrast, the contents of sodium and calcium did not show wide variations and ranged as follows: (0.48- 0.88) and (0.291–1.041 ppm) for calcium in leaves and stems, respectively. While for sodium, the contents fluctuated in the ranges of (1.125 – 2.95 ppm) in leaves and from 7.28 ppm to 20.08 in stems. Also the results showed that there are higher values of total phenols in the selected plants in this study, their contents were ranged as follows (182.88 - 275.939  ppm )in leaves and from (298.148 - 323.501 ppm) in stems, while the Anti-oxidant activity values were ranged between  (7.476 to 9.996 ppm)  in leaves and between (9.707-10.117 ppm) in stems, on the other side the contents of Carbohydrate were fluctuated in the ranges between( 0.029 – 0.114ppm) in leaves and between (0.177 to 0.177 ppm) in stems, respectively