contribute to the oxidative stress. The higher antioxidant
activity of the MJ treated strawberries may prove that MJ promoted
higher therapeutic potential, as free radicals are believed
to be involved in the pathogenic cascade of events in
many diseases. Other researchers have found similar results
in pomegranate and blackberries fruits treated with MJ (Sayyari
et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2010). The four fractions obtained
from MJ treated strawberries were also tested in this assay.
The order of antioxidant activity was n-butanol fraction
> EtOAc fraction > chloroform fraction > hexane fraction
(not significantly different, P > 0.05) (Table 1). It may indicate
that the compounds with higher contribution to the antioxidant
activity of MJ treated strawberries are extracted in the
EtOAc and n-butanol fractions. In this assay, quercetin
showed higher inhibitory activity than the crude extract and
the fractions.