Physico-chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of different jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) cultivars grown in loess plateau of China

The physico-chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of the five main jujube varieties: Junzao, Lingbaozao, Jinzao, Zanhuangzao and Lizao collected from loess plateau of China were determined. The analyzed components included fruit yield, moisture content, total mass per fruit, pH, titratable acidity (TA), reducing sugars, total sugars, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid, total phenolics content, total flavonoids content and several pure phenolic compounds. The output of the analyses showed higher amounts of ascorbic acid and phenolics in these jujube varieties than in some common fruits. The antioxidative capacity of the jujube extracts, evaluated with the reducing power, the β-carotene bleaching, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydracyl (DPPH•), and the 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS•⁺) scavenging methods, showed that the antioxidant activity of the extracts of Lingbaozao was excellent for free radical scavenging and a potent natural antioxidant of commercial value. Statistically significant differences were observed between jujube cultivars investigated with regards to the measured parameters except rutin content of fruit. These results demonstrated that the cultivar was the main factor which influences the physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of jujubes.     

Antioxidant potency of white (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) and Chinese (Brassica rapa L. var. pekinensis (Lour.)) cabbage: The influence of development stage,cultivar choice and seed selection

The accumulation of total phenols (TP, Folin-Ciocalteu method) and total flavonoids (TF, colorimetric assay with AlCl₃) and the evolution of antioxidant capacity (FRAP assay, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays) have been monitored in juices of Croatian white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) cultivars Vara?dinski and Ogulinski, as well as Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis), at various developmental stages. Measurements were performed every four weeks, starting from planting to full maturity, throughout the course of eight months. In the first 8–12 weeks, the TP and TF contents as well as antioxidant capacity increased significantly in all analyzed juice samples and in most even doubled. This rapid increase was followed by a gradual decrease in values derived from all assays, over the course of 12–30 weeks, to the final values which were in all cases lower than the values measured at week 4. The results also point to significant variability in TP and TF contents and antioxidant capacity at the fully mature stage between white and Chinese cabbage juices and between juices extracted from cultivars Ogulinski and Vara?dinski.     

The influence of flesh colour and growing locality on polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity in potatoes

Compounds contained in potato tubers that may act as antioxidants have been attracting increased attention. The main antioxidants in potatoes are polyphenolic compounds. The total polyphenolic (TP) content and antioxidant activity (AA) in potato tubers of four yellow-fleshed cultivars and two purple-fleshed cultivars from the 2004 harvest were tested. The total polyphenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent (FC) and the antioxidant activity, with the DPPH method using stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·). Significant differences were found in total polyphenolic content between the yellow-fleshed cultivars Karin, Impala, Ditta, and Saturna. Significant differences between yellow and purple-fleshed potatoes were found: the yellow-fleshed cultivars had an average of 2.96 g gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per kg DM, the purple-fleshed cultivars 4.68 g GAE per kg DM. Significant differences in AA between the yellow and purple-fleshed cultivars were determined (yellow-fleshed in an average of 139.3 mg equivalents of ascorbic acid [EAA] per kg DM, purple-fleshed 332.3 mg EAA per kg DM) as well as between the purple-fleshed cultivars Valfi (298 mg EAA per kg DM) and Violette (366 mg EAA per kg DM). The major antioxidants in purple-fleshed cultivars were anthocyanidins petunidin (Valfi 92%_rel) and malvidin (Violette 85%_rel). Cv. Violette contained three times higher content of anthocyanidins than cv. Valfi. Among four experimental localities, the higher situated potato-growing region of Stachy (locality with the lowest average annual and daily minimum temperatures and the highest sum of precipitation in the vegetative period) differed significantly from other localities by a higher TP content, AA and yield in the analyzed cultivars. A high positive correlation between antioxidant activity and total polyphenolic content with R = 0.8648, R² = 0.7478 (P = 0.0001) was found.     

Polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant properties in mango fruits

Fruit of eight mango genotypes were evaluated for antioxidant potential by several biochemical assays (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC, FRAP, SASR and MCC) and tested for their polyphenol composition and vitamin C contents. The significance analysis demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity of Tainong 1 fruits were significantly higher than that of other genotypes, which was about 2.1–6.3-fold higher than Guifei assayed in ABTS, DPPH, ORAC and FRAP methods. The total polyphenols and flavonoids contents showed a great variety amongst mango genotypes and highly correlation with the total antioxidant capacity. It is concluded that significant genotypic difference exists in the total antioxidant capacity of mango fruits. Both total polyphenols and flavonoids are major contributors to the total antioxidant capacity in mango fruit.