Wild almonds of Iran show genetic diversity and have very a large distribution. Different species of these almonds have more variation in genes resistant to dryness, saltiness, diseases, pests, and other factors. | Turk J Biol 34 (2010) 165-173 © TÜBİTAK doi: Antioxidant and antiradical activities of phenolic extracts from Iranian almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) hulls and shells Ali Jahanban ISFAHLAN1, Ahmad MAHMOODZADEH1, Abdollah HASSANZADEH2, Reza HEIDARI1, Rashid JAMEI1 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Urmia University, Urmia , IRAN 2Agricultural and Natural Research Center of West Azerbaijan, Urmia , IRAN Received: Abstract: Wild almonds of Iran show genetic diversity and have very a large distribution. Different species of these almonds have more variation in genes resistant to dryness, saltiness, diseases, pests, and other factors. In order to compare the antioxidant and antiradical activity of wild almond hull and shell phenolic extracts, 4 wild almond species (Amygdalus lycioides Spach, A. kotschyi Boiss. & Hohen, A. pabotti Browicz, A. trichamygdalus () Woronow) were selected from Shahindezh and Qasemloo Valley, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, in 2007. The fruits of these almonds were collected, their hulls and shells were dried and then ground, and then methanolic extracts were prepared from these hulls and shells. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu (F–C) method. The extracts’ reducing power and scavenging capacity for radical nitrite, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide were evaluated. Hull and shell extracts, respectively, had a range of ± ± , ± ± mg/g gallic acid equivalents/g extract in total phenolic content, , AU at 700 nm in reducing power, ± ± , ± ± in hydrogen peroxide, ± ± , ± ± in superoxide, and ± ± , ± ± in nitrite radical scavenging percentage. The results show that the antioxidant and antiradical activities of the almond hull are higher than those of its shell phenolic extract .
