The main objective of this study is to investigate three equalized batches of a wild Mentha longifolia (ML) population from northern Hungary for extractability by gentle ultrasonic extraction, antioxidant activity, and phenolic constituents. | Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Research Article Turk J Agric For (2017) 41: 208-217 © TÜBİTAK doi: Polyphenols in northern Hungarian Mentha longifolia (L.) L. treated with ultrasonic extraction for potential oenological uses 1, 1 2 3 Katalin PATONAY *, Marietta KORÓZS , Zoltán MURÁNYI , Erika PÉNZESNÉ KÓNYA Knowledge Centre of Food Science and Oenology, Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, Hungary 2 Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, Hungary 3 Department of Botany, Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, Hungary 1 Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: The main objective of this study is to investigate three equalized batches of a wild Mentha longifolia (ML) population from northern Hungary for extractability by gentle ultrasonic extraction, antioxidant activity, and phenolic constituents. This is the first analytical investigation in a Hungarian population of this species. Antioxidant properties of ML extracts were evaluated with DPPH, photochemiluminescence-O2-• scavenging assay, FRAP, and total polyphenol measurements. HPLC-DAD determination was performed for the main phenolic constituents. The extracts are medium or strong antioxidants in DPPH and FRAP assays and show strong O2-• scavenging capacity. Rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, naringenin, rosmarinic, vanillic, gallic, syringic, caffeic, and ferulic acids were identified. All batches were unexpectedly rutin-rich (1700–7500 mg/kg dry herb) and also were rich in rosmarinic acid. Further characteristic traits in the polyphenol profile were a lack of naringenin and (previously not reported) the presence of free kaempferol (up to 30 mg/kg dry herb). Key words: Antioxidant, Hungary, Mentha longifolia, polyphenols, photochemiluminescence, ultrasound 1. Introduction Wild mint or horsemint (Mentha longifolia (L.) L., .
