This study aimed to determine the phenolic profile and to investigate the
antioxidant potential of quince (Cydonia oblonga) leaf, comparing it with
green tea (Camellia sinensis). For these purposes, methanolic extracts were prepared and phenolics content of quince leaf was determined by HPLC/UV. The
antioxidant properties were assessed by
Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity assay and by the ability to quench the stable
free radical 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and to inhibit the
2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (
AAPH)-induced oxidative
hemolysis of human erythrocytes.5-O-Caffeoylquinic
acid was found to be the major phenolic compound in quince leaf extract. Quince leaf exhibited a significantly higher reducing power than
green tea (mean value of 227.8 +/- 34.9 and 112.5 +/- 1.5 g/kg dry leaf, respectively). Quince leaf extracts showed similar DPPH radical-scavenging activities (EC50 mean value of 21.6 +/- 3.5 microg/ml) but significantly lower than that presented by
green tea extract (EC50 mean value of 12.7 +/- 0.1 microg/ml). Under the oxidative action of
AAPH, quince leaf methanolic extract significantly protected the erythrocyte membrane from
hemolysis in a similar manner to that found for
green tea (IC50 mean value of 30.7 +/- 6.7 and 24.3 +/- 9.6 microg/ml, respectively, P > 0.05). These results point that quince leaf may have application as preventive or therapeutic agent in diseases in which
free radicals are involved.