INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS, cilt.36, sa.1, ss.203-208, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
Calendula sp. is an important medicinal and industrial plant with various bioactivities. In this study, we examined enzyme inhibitory effects of the n-hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of the leaf and flowers of Calendula arvensis L and C. officinalis L. against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The extracts were screened for their antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric ion-chelating capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays at 250, 500, and 1000 mu g mL(-1). Total phenol and flavonoid quantification of the extracts was achieved using Folin-Ciocalteau and AlCl3 reagents, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract of C. arvensis flowers was the most active in AChE inhibition assay (31.24 +/- 1.29%), while the n-hexane extract of C. officinalis leaves exerted the highest ferric ion-chelating capacity (74.27 +/- 2.25%). Thin layer chromatographic analysis indicated presence of flavonoid and triterpene derivatives mainly in the extracts. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.