Comparison of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) and Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaves in Terms of Antioxidant and Antiinflammatory Activity

Walnut and olive are consumed by people as food for many years. It is seen that not only fruits but also leaves are used among the people. In this study, walnut and olive leaves were compared in terms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. DPPH • and ABTS •+ free radical scavenging activity methods were used for determination antioxidant capacity. For an in vitro measure of anti-inflammatory activity, stabilization of human red blood cell membrane by heat induced membrane lysis was done. The results showed that walnut leaf extract had the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with IC50 values of 0.0530 mg mL -1 for DPPH radical scavenging activity; 0.0421mg mL -1 for ABTS radical scavenging activity and 0.3959 mg mL -1 for human red blood cell membrane stabilization capacity. It is thought that the difference in the activity levels of extracts may be owing to the several types and amounts of polyphenolic compounds.