Abstract
Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family. Recently, it has been introduced to Morocco from its native Paraguay; its molecules have a sweetening power that is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose. This characteristic makes of this plant a considerable natural noncalorific sweetener in case of hypoglycemic or low carbohydrate diet. This important interest has prompted us to make further studies on this plant. The objective of this work is to show the value of Stevia rebaudiana grown in the Larache region of Morocco by the chemical characterization and evaluation of the antioxidant activity of its extracts. A phytochemical screening was carried out to highlight the qualitative composition of secondary metabolites. This analysis showed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, oses and holosides, sterols, triterpenes, and free anthraquinones. However, the absence of alkaloids and reducing compounds has been observed. In addition, extraction of the total polyphenols was carried out by maceration using a 70% methanol–water mixture. The yield is of the order of 28.6%. Subsequently, fractionation of the crude extract was carried out by successively using three organic solvents of different polarities: chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Polyphenol dosage with Folin-Ciocalteu’s reagent showed that ethyl acetate fraction is richer in phenolic compounds (26.4%) than the other fractions. Flavonoids dosage with aluminum trichloride showed the richness of this plant in these compounds. The antioxidant activity of different fractions was evaluated by 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-free radical scavenging method and ferric reducing/antioxidant power method; the values of the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were determined graphically. It is equal to 0.32 mg/ml for the ethyl acetate fraction, compared to 0.08 mg/ml for the ascorbic acid used as a reference. In this study, we have shown that Stevia rebaudiana is very rich in phenolic compounds and possesses a very important antioxidant power.
Résumé
Stevia rebaudiana est un arbrisseau appartenant à la famille des Astéracées. Récemment, elle a été introduite au Maroc à partir de son pays originaire le Paraguay, ses molécules possèdent un pouvoir sucrant qui est environ 300 fois plus sucré que le saccharose. Cette caractéristique fait de cette plante un édulcorant naturel non calorique en cas de régime à teneur réduite en glucides. Cet intérêt important nous a incités à faire d’autres études sur cette plante. L’objectif du présent travail est la valorisation de Stevia rebaudiana cultivée dans la région de Larache au Maroc par la caractérisation chimique et l’évaluation de l’activité antioxydante de ses extraits. Un criblage phytochimique a été réalisé pour mettre en évidence la composition qualitative en métabolites secondaires. Cette analyse a montré la présence des flavonoïdes, des tanins, des oses et holosides, des stérols, des triterpènes et des anthraquinones libres. Mais il a été observé l’absence des alcaloïdes et des composés réducteurs. De plus, l’extraction des polyphénols totaux a été effectuée par macération en utilisant un mélange (méthanol–eau) à 70 %. Le rendement est de l’ordre de 28,6 %. Ensuite, le fractionnement de l’extrait brut a été réalisé en utilisant successivement trois solvants organiques de polarités différentes: le chloroforme, l’acétate d’éthyle et le n-butanol. Le dosage des polyphénols par la méthode de Folin-Ciocalteu a montré que la fraction d’acétate d’éthyle est la plus riche en composés phénoliques (26,4 %). Le dosage des flavonoïdes par le trichlorure d’aluminium a montré la richesse de cette plante en ces composés. L’activité antioxydante des différentes fractions a été évaluée par la méthode de piégeage du radical libre DPPH● (2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) et la méthode de FRAP, les valeurs des concentrations inhibitrices à 50 % (CI50) ont été déterminées graphiquement. Elle est égale à 0,320 mg/ ml pour la fraction d’acétate d’éthyle, contre 0,41 mg/ml pour l’acide ascorbique utilisé comme référence. Dans cette étude, nous avons montré que Stevia rebaudiana est très riche en composés phénoliques et possède un pouvoir antioxydant très important.
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Kharchouf, S., Bouchador, A., Drioiche, A. et al. Phytochemistry and antioxydante activity of Stevia rebaudiana . Phytothérapie (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10298-017-1163-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10298-017-1163-7