Metabolite Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Some Species of Genus Scutellaria Growing in Bulgaria.

Until now, the interest to plants from genus in Bulgaria has been focused mainly on the terpenes in them. The purpose of this study is to enrich the information on the composition of the Bulgarian species in terms of both polyphenolic content as well as primary metabolites such as mono-, oligosaccharides and organic acids. An aerial part of three species growing in four low mountain regions of Southern Bulgaria was used. The flavonoids scutellarin, baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, wogonoside, luteolin, chrysin and a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside-verbascoside have been identified via HPLC in different extracts from and . The antioxidant activity of the extracts has been evaluated. The from Mezek and from Parvenets we studied, which are the richest in flavonoids (represented mainly by baicalin, scutellarin and wogonoside), show the highest Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. Hydroxyl Radical Averting Capacity of from Mezek and from Bachkovo is the most pronounced, probably due to the content of scutellarin and luteolin and chrysin, respectively. Antioxidant activity of aqueous, methanolic and 70% and 96% ethanol extracts were also determined by the electrochemical method.