Enhancing ferric-reducing antioxidant activity through terpene mixture optimization
Abstract
The present study investigated the antioxidant potential of three terpenes p -cymene, thymol, and β-ionone—through their ferric reducing power (FRAP). Individually, p -cymene demonstrated the strongest activity with an EC ₅₀ of 123.03 ± 2.05 µg/mL, followed by thymol (EC ₅₀ = 153.16 ± 2.84 µg/mL), whereas β-ionone exhibited the lowest ferric reducing capacity (EC ₅₀ = 931.46 ± 5.37 µg/mL), revealing significant variation in their antioxidant efficacy. To assess combinatorial effects, twelve randomized mixture trials were performed, each representing the mean of three independent repetitions, yielding FRAP EC ₅₀ values ranging from 79.76 to 931.46 µg/mL. Statistical analysis identified significant contributions from linear terms (β ₁ , β ₂ , β ₃ ), binary interactions (β ₁₂ , β ₁₃ ), and the ternary interaction term (β ₁₂₃ ), indicating that both individual and combined effects shaped the overall antioxidant response. Analysis of 2D and 3D mixture plots suggested that an EC ₅₀ around 79.70 µg/mL could be obtained by combining all three terpenes. Furthermore, desirability analysis predicted an optimal FRAP EC ₅₀ of 58.23 µg/mL, achieved with a mixture comprising 17% β-ionone, 42% p -cymene, and 41% thymol, with a global desirability of 99.9%. These findings demonstrate that strategic blending of structurally related terpenes can substantially enhance ferric reducing capacity, providing a robust framework for the development of potent natural antioxidant formulations.
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BibTeX
@article{qasem2026enhancing,
title = {{Enhancing ferric-reducing antioxidant activity through terpene mixture optimization}},
author = {Ahmed Qasem},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-77654-8},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-77654-8},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Enhancing ferric-reducing antioxidant activity through terpene mixture optimization
AU - Ahmed Qasem
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-77654-8
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-77654-8
AB - The present study investigated the antioxidant potential of three terpenes p -cymene, thymol, and β-ionone—through their ferric reducing power (FRAP). Individually, p -cymene demonstrated the strongest activity with an EC ₅₀ of 123.03 ± 2.05 µg/mL, followed by thymol (EC ₅₀ = 153.16 ± 2.84 µg/mL), whereas β-ionone exhibited the lowest ferric reducing capacity (EC ₅₀ = 931.46 ± 5.37 µg/mL), revealing significant variation in their antioxidant efficacy. To assess combinatorial effects, twelve randomized mixture trials were performed, each representing the mean of three independent repetitions, yielding FRAP EC ₅₀ values ranging from 79.76 to 931.46 µg/mL. Statistical analysis identified significant contributions from linear terms (β ₁ , β ₂ , β ₃ ), binary interactions (β ₁₂ , β ₁₃ ), and the ternary interaction term (β ₁₂₃ ), indicating that both individual and combined effects shaped the overall antioxidant response. Analysis of 2D and 3D mixture plots suggested that an EC ₅₀ around 79.70 µg/mL could be obtained by combining all three terpenes. Furthermore, desirability analysis predicted an optimal FRAP EC ₅₀ of 58.23 µg/mL, achieved with a mixture comprising 17% β-ionone, 42% p -cymene, and 41% thymol, with a global desirability of 99.9%. These findings demonstrate that strategic blending of structurally related terpenes can substantially enhance ferric reducing capacity, providing a robust framework for the development of potent natural antioxidant formulations.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -