Background: The antioxidant properties of ethanolic root extract of pepper fruit (
Donnetia tripetala
), and its effect on lipid peroxidation of some
fresh beef tissues during frozen storage were investigated.
Materials and Methods: The antioxidant parameters were assessed using standard methods, while malondialdehyde levels of different fresh beef
tissue sections treated with the extract prior to freezing, were estimated in a colorimetric reaction with thiobarbituric acid.
Results: The H
2O
2-scavenging ability of the extract was similar to that of ascorbic acid, with a maximum scavenging power of 55.61 ±4.98%, and an
IC
50 value of 86μg/ml. The extract exhibited a concentration-dependent ferric ion-reducing power, although this was significantly lower relative to
that of the ascorbic acid (p < 0.05). The total phenolic content was 212.5 ± 0.002 mg/g, while the nitric oxide- scavenging ability was 64.33 ± 0.2%
after 150 min. The capacity of the extract to inhibit lipid peroxidation in frozen heart muscle slices was significantly higher than that of vitamin C (p <
0 .05), but comparable to vitamins C and E in frozen testes and kidney slices.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the root extract of
D. tripetala is rich in antioxidants which can be applied to meat preservation during
refrigerated storage.
