The Effect of Time, Power of Radiation and Ratio of Solvent on the Antioxidant and Extraction Efficiency of Rosmarinus Officinalis L. Under Microwave From Kashan

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (commonly known as rosemary) as a member of the Lamiaceae family is a valuable aromatic and medicinal plant which is cultivated in large scale in Iran. In this study, we have tried to identify the effective parameters on the antioxidant and extraction efficiency of Rosmarinus officinalis L. under microwave irradiation. The aerial parts of R. officinalis was collected from Ghamsar, province of Kashan. The antioxidative properties of the extracts were determined by bleaching of β-carotene (β-carotene-linoleic acid assay) and 2,20diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The best solvent for the extraction of this plant was water under microwave radiation. Irradiation time, power of radiation and the ratio of water to the plant were considered as the most influential variables. The results show that the best conditions for the antioxidant and extraction efficiency of R. officinalis were obtained under 550 watt Irradiation for 55 minutes with the ratio of 3 mL/g (water to the plant).