Characterization of Steam Volatiles and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Different Extracts from Leaves and Roots of Aegopodium podagraria L.

This study presents the results on the composition of hydro-distilled essential oils and the antioxidant properties of extracts isolated with different polarity solvents from the leaves (GLEO) and roots (GREO) of wild-grown Lithuanian goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.). The yields of GLEO and GREO were 0.22% and 0.04%. The identified compounds numbered 117 and 88, which constituted 99.4 and 99.2% of the total integrated peak area, respectively. The major GLEO constituents were sesquiterpenes germacrene D (17.53%), (E)-β-bergamotene (11.75%), (E,E)-α-farnesene (7.23%), and (E)-caryophyllene (5.29%), while monoterpene α-pinene (19.24%) was quantitatively dominant in GREO, followed by sesquiterpenes germacrene B (4.59%), (E)-caryophyllene (4.51%), β-barbatene (4.26%), and β-bazzanene (4.10%). Polyacetylene (Z)-falcarinol, which is an important bioactive compound, constituted 4.60% in GREO. The antioxidant characteristics of water, methanol, and acetone extracts were evaluated by the TPC, DPPH•/ABTS•+ scavenging, and ORAC assays. The water and methanol extracts of the leaves were the strongest antioxidants; their TPC and ORAC values were 62.12 and 56.84 mg GAE/g, and 1426 and 1293 µM TE/g, respectively; the EC50 values of DPPH• and ABTS•+ scavenging were 1.18 and 2.48, and 2.45 and 3.57 mg/mL, respectively. The results obtained may assist in developing antioxidants, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and other health-beneficial preparations from A. podagraria extracts.