QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF HYDROXYCINMONARY ACIDS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF AMORPHA FRUTICOSA L.

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the search and study of new antioxidants, including those of natural origin, which play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases, the main pathogenetic factor in the development of which is considered to be oxidative damage to cells by reactive oxygen species (ROS), including atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory diseases etc. In this connection, the correction of redox disorders is crucial for the normal functioning of the body as a whole. It is known that hydroxycinnamic acids are powerful antioxidants, the main mechanism of action of which is the absorption of radicals, which is associated with their hydrogen or electron-donating ability and the stability of the resulting phenoxyl radicals. Amorpha fruticosa L. can be considered as a plant raw material containing hydroxycinnamic acids and providing antioxidant activity. In various parts of this plant, hyperoside, coumaric acid, quercetin, rutoside, luteolin, kaempferol, and hydroxycinnamic acids have been identified, which determine the biological effect of this plant. In this connection, the purpose of this work was to quantitatively determine hydroxycinnamic acids and evaluate the antioxidant properties of the fruits of Amorpha fruticosa L., growing in the Astrakhan region. The study used A. fruticosa fruits collected in the Volodarsky district of the Astrakhan region in 2023, on the basis of which an extract was obtained in a ratio of 1:5 by extracting crushed fruits with 60 % ethanol in a water bath at a temperature of 60° C for 2.5 hours followed by removal of alcohol. The quantitative content of hydroxycinnamic acids (HA) in the A. fruticosa extract was determined by spectrophotometric method. The antioxidant activity of the studied extract was measured using the method of reduction of the stable radical 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The content of total hydroxycinnamic derivatives in terms of chlorogenic acid was 12,26 ± 2.07 mg/g dry matter. A study of the antioxidant activity of hydroxycinnamic acids from A. fruticosa fruits against DPPH radical cations revealed a maximum degree of inhibition of 63,79 % and 79,18 % at an extractant concentration of 60 %. As a result of the study, it was established that the quantitative content of the amount of hydroxycinnamic acids determines the antioxidant activity of the Amorpha fruticosa L. fruit extract and can be used as a promising basis for herbal medicines for use in the prevention of oxidative damage to cells.