Introduction: Rosa rugosa Thunb., commonly known as rugosa rose, has favorable properties. Due to the content of valuable compounds such as polyphenols and vitamins, it shows antioxidant activity, which can protect the organism against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of alcoholic extracts of R. rugosa leaves collected in 3 ripening periods and fruits at full ripening, harvested in 2 years.
Materials and methods: The plant extracts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction, using 40%, 70%, 96% (v/v) ethanol and 99.8% methanol as solvents. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH method.
Results: All the tested samples obtained from different parts of R. rugosa showed antioxidant potential. The antioxidant activity of leaf extracts was significantly higher than that of fruit extracts. The highest antioxidant activity of 90% radical scavenging activity (RSA) was observed in extracts in 70% (v/v) ethanol (extraction time: 30 min) and in methanol (extraction time: 15 min) from dried leaves harvested during fruiting.
Conclusions: R. rugosa, especially its leaves, is a valuable source of antioxidants and could be used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The extraction conditions, i.e. time, solvent and its concentration, affect the antioxidant activity of the obtained extracts.
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