Silver Fir (Abies alba) is an evergreen confiner that reaches an age of up to 600 years. It is an autochtonous tree of the Slovenian forest area. From pharmaceutical point of view, it is interesting because it contains protective substances that could contribue to a better quality of life of an aging society.
The most interesting areas of research are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, protective effects on the cardiovascular system, the maintenance of glucose levels in blood as well as anti-aging effects. The key protective molecules are called polyphenols, known for their antioxidative properties. They are found mainly in wood knots and branches. The knots are located in the trunk and are an extension of the branches. The majority of polyphenols can be found in the inner, darker part of the branch called heartwood and pith. We were researching how the antioxidant activity and the content of polyphenols in the wood of the silver fir branches differ depending on the distance from the trunk.
We took 9 samples from each branch of the Silver Fir (Kočevje, Slovenia), which were 10 cm apart. The first sample was 0 cm away from the trunk and the last was 80 cm. Antioxidant activity was measured using ABTS and DPPH method. Subsequently, phenol content was measured using FC Reagent as well as HPLC. Furthermore, the content of extractable substances was determined gravimetrically.
The strongest activity was measured the closest to the trunk, which was decreasing with increasing distance from the trunk. Antioxidant activity 50 cm from the trunk was 1,5 times weaker than antioxidant activity close to the trunk. The content of total polyphenols 50 cm from the trunk was 1,6 times lower than next to the trunk. The content of the main polyphenol isolariciresinol 50 cm from the trunk was 2,9 times lower than next to the trunk.
Based on the results, we concluded that the distance from the trunk has an effect on the antioxidant activity and on the content of polyphenols in the branches of silver fir.
|