Gamma irradiation effects on free radical scavenging activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Rosemary)

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Rosemary), member of the Lamiaceae family has been accepted as one of the spices with the highest antioxidant activity. At this study, Rosemary was irradiated with gamma rays (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kGy), and antioxidant activities were investigated by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2, 2-Azino-Bis (3-Ethylbenzthiazoline-6-Sulfoni Acid, Diammonium Salt) assays. Our results showed that 30 and 40 kGy irradiated Rosemary had significant higher level of antioxidant activities in comparison with 10, 20 and 50 kGy irradiated and non-irradiated Rosemary (P<0.05).

Keywords:

Rosemary , Gamma irradiation , DPPH