Evaluación de la actividad antioxidante y antiinflamatoria de un té elaborado a partir de cuatro plantas medicinales del Ecuador

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times to relieve stomachakes, period pains, headaches, among others. The use of medicinal properties of plants from its infusion is widely accepted by the population. Thanks to the presence of various active compounds, these infusions can provide health benefits (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, among others). In the present investigation different treatments were formulated based on four plants: melissa (Melissa officinalis), type (Mintostachys mollis Griseb), trinitarian (Psoralea glandulosa) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), sweetened with stevia leaves (Stevia rebaudiana B). The best formulation was determined by sensory analysis, and the treatment 7 containing 50 percent trinitarian, 16.67 percent type, 16.67 percent lemon balm, 16.67 percent rosemary and 5 percent stevia, showed the highest acceptability. The physico-chemical parameters were then determined, resulting in an average percentage of moisture, total ash and insoluble ash in hydrochloric acid of 5.197 percent; 9.020 percent and 1.019 percent respectively. Finally, it was determined the antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory and the total polyphenol content of the best treatment (T7) resulting in 531024.473 micro mol equivalent to Trolox per gram of sample; 28.401 percent and 225.167 micro mole equivalent to Gallic acid per gram of sample respectively.