Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Different Extracts from Rosa canina L Fruits

Background Phenolic compounds are a large group of secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in plants and are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Objective The aim of this research was to determine the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of different extracts and infusions of two samples, wild and commercial, of Rosa canina L.fruits. Materials and Methods The samples were extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using three different solvents: ethanol, acetone and hexane.Water extracts were prepared as infusions for 5, 15 and 30 min . The contents of total phenolics (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), tannins (TTC) were analyzed. To assess the antioxidant potential, the DPPH and FRAP assay were employed. Results The highest TPC content was observed in the acetone extract of the commercial sample (177.63 mg GAE/g dw) and in the infusion of the wild sample extracted for 30 min. (26.66 mg GAE/g dw). The highest TFC content was found in the hexane extract of the wild sample (64.2 mg QE/g dw). The highest TTC content was recorded in the acetone extract of the wild sample (21.74 mg TAE/g dw) and the infusion of the commercial sample prepared for 30 min. (17.98 mg TAE/g dw). According to the DPPH assay, ethanolic extract of the commercial sample (IC 50 115.98 µg/mL) and the infusion of the same sample prepared for 5 min (IC 50 4.2 µg/mL) showed the highest antioxidant activity. According to the FRAP assay, the acetone extract of the wild sample (23.47 mmol Fe 2+ /g dw) and the infusion of the same sample prepared for 30 min. (51.30 mmol Fe 2+ /g dw) showed the highest antioxidant activity. Conclusion The results indicate that wild samples generally exhibited higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to commercial ones, with infusions showing strong antioxidant potential. A positive correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity was observed in some extracts, suggesting that phenolic compounds contribute significantly to the reducing capacity of Rosa canina L. preparations.