The content of selenium, polyphenols and antioxidative activity in selected medical plants from Poland and Western Ukraine

The three aims of the study were to: 1) evaluate the content of selenium and polyphenols, and to assess the reductive potential (FRAP test) and ability to deactivate ABTSï+ cation radicals in C. officinalis, H. perforatum, M. x piperita and S. marianum from Poland and Ukraine; 2) define the diversification in concentrations of selenium and polyphenols and in levels of ABTS activity and FRAP reductive potential within the examined species in relation to their location; and 3) evaluate the inter-dependencies between selenium, total polyphenol concentration, ABTS and FRAP activity, in the examined plants. We observed differences in the content of total polyphenols and antioxidative activity between the herb species and the location. Most selenium was found in M. x piperita and S. marianum from western Ukraine, with Polish H. perforatum from Pomerania and M. x piperita from Podlasie representing the highest TP content and antioxidative potential. A clear and significant relationship between the content of Se and antioxidative activity (ABTS and FRAP), and also between total polyphenols and antioxidative activity was noted only in H. perforatum. In C. officinalis a significant relationship was noted between Se and both total polyphenols and antioxidative potential. In M. x piperita a significant dependency was found between total polyphenols and antioxidative potential. The results of our research indicate a different role of selenium as an antioxidant in H. perforatum and C. officinalis, as well as polyphenols in H. perforatum and M. x piperita in dependence on the harvesting regions.