Quantification of Total Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids from Microwave Irradiated and Non-irradiated Plants

Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the low power microwave radiations on the concentration of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) from Satureja hortensis L. and Ocimum basilicum L., after it was established the efficient method of extraction.

Study Design: The extracts were obtained from irradiated and non-irradiated plants, were analysed spectrophotometrically and were drawn the conclusions.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiments were performed in the Physics of Nanostructured Systems Department, National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies and Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University between June 2012 and June 2013.

Methodology: Experiment was carried out by exposing the plants to microwave radiation modulated by a specific WLAN communications protocol (2.4...2.49 GHz with intensity of 70 mW m-2). The test plants and the control plants were subjected to the same environment during two weeks.

Results: The data obtained for the plants subjected to microwave treatments were analysed and compared with those registered for the non-irradiated plants. Results showed that the concentration of total flavonoids in both studied species is significantly higher in the microwave irradiated compared to the non-irradiated plants.

Conclusion: This paper proposes to investigate the effect of microwave on the concentration of phenolic compounds from plants. The results showed that the concentration of total flavonoids and total phenolic acids is higher in irradiated plants compared to the non-irradiated plants. The amount of flavonoids, respectively phenolic acids in the irradiated Satureja hortensis L. is 35.7%, respectively of 0.89% higher than in the non-irradiated plant, while in the irradiated Ocimum basilicum L. is of 24.3%, respectively of 11.59% higher than in non-irradiated plant.