Antioxidant activity of selected Spanish wines in corn oil emulsions

Wines contain phenolic compounds that may be useful for preventing lipid oxidation as dietary antioxidants. This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity in corn oil emulsions of seventeen selected Spanish wines and two California wines. The inhibition of hydroperoxide formation at 10 microM gallic acid equivalents (GAE) varied from 8.4% to 40.2% with the red wines, from 20.9% to 45.8% with the rosé wines, and from 6.5% to 47.0% with the white wines. The inhibition of hydroperoxide formation at 20 microM GAE varied from 11.9% to 34.1% with the red wines, from 0.1% to 34. 5% with the rosé wines, and from 3.3% to 37.2% with the white wines. The inhibition of hexanal formation at 10 microM GAE varied from 23. 6% to 64.4% with the red wines, from 42.7% to 68.5% with the rosé wines, and from 28.4% to 68.8% with the white wines. The inhibition of hexanal formation at 20 microM GAE varied from 33.0% to 46.3% with the red wines, from 11.3% to 66.5% with the rosé wines, and from -16.7% to +21.0% with the white wines. The antioxidant effect decreased with increasing concentration. This antioxidant activity was related to the five main groups of phenolic compounds identified in wines by HPLC. The relative antioxidant activity correlated positively with the total phenol content of wines (by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and by HPLC), benzoic acids, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, and flavonols, for the inhibition of hydroperoxides and hexanal at 10 and 20 microM GAE.     

Polyphenol content and total antioxidant activity of vini novelli (young red wines)

Eight commercial Italian vini novelli (red wines prepared by carbonic maceration and supposed to be consumed within three months from their wine-making) were evaluated for their total antioxidant activity. The wines had an average total phenol content (1605.4 +/- 337.4 mg/L gallic acid equivalents) lower than that of wines prepared by traditional maceration and consumable after aging (2057. 3 +/- 524.0 mg/L gallic acid equivalents). The average flavanol content (424.7 +/- 121.3 mg/L catechin equivalents) and the total antioxidant activity (16.8 +/- 3.8 mmol/L Trolox equivalents) of vini novelli were higher than the corresponding values (382.7 +/- 174.5 mg/L catechin equivalents and 12.3 +/- 3.3 mmol/L Trolox equivalents) found for aged wines. Three couples of experimental wines were prepared from the same grapes by traditional or carbonic maceration. These wines showed a different phenolic pattern, anthocyanins being more abundant in vini novelli. However, the average total antioxidant activities of the wines were similar, suggesting that aging (and not the wine-making technique) is the main factor influencing the antioxidant activity of red wines.     

Antioxidants and antioxidant activity of several pigmented rice brans

This study investigated the antioxidant content and activity of phenolic acids, anthocyanins, α-tocopherol and γ-oryzanol in pigmented rice (black and red rice) brans. After methanolic extraction, the DPPH free radical scavenging activity and antioxidant activity were measured. The pigmented rice bran extract had a greater reducing power than a normal rice bran extract from a long grain white rice. All bran extracts were highly effective in inhibiting linoleic acid peroxidation (60-85%). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of antioxidants in rice bran found that γ-oryzanol (39-63%) and phenolic acids (33-43%) were the major antioxidants in all bran samples, and black rice bran also contained anthocyanins 18-26%. HPLC analysis of anthocyanins showed that pigmented bran was rich in cyanidin-3-glucoside (58-95%). Ferulic acid was the dominant phenolic acid in the rice bran samples. Black rice bran contained gallic, hydroxybenzoic, and protocatechuic acids in higher contents than red rice bran and normal rice bran. Furthermore, the addition of 5% black rice bran to wheat flour used for making bread produced a marked increase in the free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity compared to a control bread.     

Effect of addition of commercial grape seed tannins on phenolic composition, chromatic characteristics, and antioxidant activity of red wine

The effect of addition of grape seed tannins on the phenolic composition, chromatic characteristics, and antioxidant activity of red wine was studied. Two highly pure commercial grape seed tannins (GSE100 and GSE300) were selected, and their phenolic compositions were determined. Two types of red wines were made with Castela?o/Tinta Miu?da (3/2, w/w) grapevine varieties by fermentation on skin using two different maceration times, which correspond to the wines rich and poor in polyphenols, respectively. Each of these wines was used for experimentation with the addition of GSE100 and GSE300 before and immediately after alcoholic fermentation. Phenolic composition, chromatic characteristics, and antioxidant activity of the finished red wines were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, CIElab 76 convention, and DPPH radical test, respectively. The results showed that the addition of grape seed tannins had obvious effects of increasing color intensity and antioxidant activity only in the wines poor in polyphenols. Although GSE300 contained much higher amounts of di- and trimer procyanidins and a lower amount of polymeric proanthocyanidins, it provided effects of increasing the color intensity and antioxidant activity of the wines poor in polyphenols similar to those of GSE100. Furthermore, GSE100 released more gallic acid to wines than GSE300, although no gallic acid was detected in GSE100. Tannins added after alcoholic fermentation had a better effect on phenolic composition of red wine than tannins added before alcoholic fermentation.     

Antioxidant activity of South African red and white cultivar wines: free radical scavenging

The free radical scavenging activity of South African red (n = 46) and white (n = 40) cultivar wines was determined using 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothialozinesulfonic acid) radical cations (ABTS(.+)) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH.). The total antioxidant activities (TAA) of red and white wines using ABTS(.+) were 14.916 and 0.939 mM Trolox, respectively, at corresponding total phenol (TP) contents of 2339.0 and 273.8 mg of gallic acid equiv/L. Ruby Cabernet wines had the lowest TAA(ABTS) (13.177 mM Trolox) of the red wines, whereas the TAA(ABTS) values of Chardonnay and Chenin blanc wines were the highest (1.060 mM Trolox) and lowest (0.800 mM Trolox) of the white wines. The TAA(DPPH) values were of the same magnitude as the TAA(ABTS) values, and similar trends were observed. TAA correlated (P < 0.001) with total phenol content of red (r = 0.935) and white (r = 0.907) wines, as well as flavanol content of red wines (r = 0.866) and tartaric acid ester content of white wines (r = 0.767). Canonical discriminant analysis using phenolic composition and antioxidant activity was applied to differentiate between red and white cultivar wines.     

Changes during storage in conventional and ecological wine: phenolic content and antioxidant activity

Polyphenol content, free radical scavenging capacity, and changes during storage over 7 months in the dark were studied in ecological and conventional red and white wines. In red wines, the most changeable components during storage were the anthocyanins since during storage anthocyanins content decreased 88% in conventional wine and 91% in ecological wine. Initially, the total flavonol contents of the conventional and ecological red wines were 163.88 +/- 2.69 and 153.58 +/- 1.71 mg/L, respectively, and no significant variations occurred during storage. No differences in hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives content between conventional and ecological red and white wines were observed. The flavonol level in white wines was very low, as expected since these compounds are found in grape skin. The initial antioxidant activity was 5.37 +/- 0.14 and 5.82 +/- 0.31 mM equivalents Trolox for conventional and ecological red wines, respectively; no significant differences were observed (p = 0.2831), and these values were 7-8 times higher than the antioxidant activity observed in conventional and ecological white wine. In contrast with other studies, the total concentrations of phenolic compounds in conventional and ecological red and white wines were not related to antioxidant activity (p > 0.05). In red wines, no significant differences were observed in the antioxidant activity of ecological and conventional red wine (p = 0.28), while in white wine significant differences were observed in the antioxidant activity between conventional and ecological white wine (p = 0.006).     

Processing strawberries to different products alters contents of vitamin C, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity

Strawberries were processed to juice, nectar, wine, and puree. For investigation of the antioxidant capacity as well as the contents of ascorbic acid, total phenolics and total anthocyanins, samples were taken after different stages of production to determine the effects of processing. The content of vitamin C was measured spectrophotometrically. The total phenolic content was analyzed by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the amount of total anthocyanins was determined by using the pH-differential method. Two different methods-the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay and the ferric reducing antioxidant power test-were used to determine the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity. This study showed the decrease of all investigated parameters within processing strawberries to different products. The content of ascorbic acid decreased with production time and processing steps, especially during heat treatment. The investigations on total phenolics in strawberry products proved fining to be a mild method to clarify berry juices and wines without removing high amounts of total phenolics. Fermentation did not lead to heavy losses of total phenolics, probably due to polymerization and condensation of monomer phenolics such as anthocyanins. Total anthocyanins and the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity decreased while using high temperatures. Anthocyanins also decreased considerably during the processing of wines, mainly caused by fermentation and pasteurization.     

Prediction of wine color attributes from the phenolic profiles of red grapes (Vitis vinifera)

Knowledge about the relation between grape and wine phenolics is of key interest for the wine industry with respect to being able to predict wine quality from analyses of grapes. Prediction of the phenolic composition and color of experimentally produced red wines from the detailed phenolic composition of the corresponding grapes was investigated using a multivariate approach. Grape extracts and wines were produced from 55 different grape samples, covering 8 different Vitis vinifera cultivars: Alicante, Merlot, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mourvedre. The phenolic composition of the grapes and wines showed that the average ratios between wine and grape phenolics ranged from 0.25 to 7.9 for the different phenolic compounds. Most interestingly, the average ratios were low for anthocyanins (0.31) and tannins (0.32), intermediate for (+)-catechin (0.75) and polymeric pigments (0.98), and high for gallic acid (7.9). Individual wine phenolics in general correlated well with several grape phenolics, indicating that a multivariate approach might be advantageous for prediction of wine phenolics from grape phenolics analysis. However the use of multivariate prediction of individual wine phenolics from the complete grape phenolic composition only improved the prediction of wine polymeric pigments, whereas wine anthocyanins were predicted with the same precision as from the direct relation with grape anthocyanins. Prediction of color attributes of pH normalized experimental wines from the phenolic profiles of grapes was accomplished using a multivariate approach. The correlation between predicted and measured total wine color was high ( r = 0.958) but was very similar to the correlation coefficient obtained for the direct relation between grape anthocyanins and total wine color ( r = 0.961). Color due to copigmentation, color due to anthocyanins, and color intensity were also predicted well.     

Spanish sparkling wines (Cavas) as inhibitors of in vitro human low-density lipoprotein oxidation

Forty-seven dealcoholized sparkling wines (cava) from the Penedès area in Spain were tested for their antioxidant activity in a low-density lipoprotein system. The effect of different quality-related parameters, such as harvest year or grape variety, was investigated. Twenty-two phenolic compounds were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by comparing their retention time and their ultraviolet spectra with those of pure standards. When tested at the same total phenol concentration, the antioxidant activity of these white sparkling wines was found to be similar to that reported for red wines. This activity was positively correlated with the total phenolic content, trans-caffeic acid, coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, and quercetin 3-glucuronide. The wines made of the classic cava wine coupage had superior antioxidant activity compared to those of other cultivars.     

Phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of muscadine grapes

Fruits of 10 cultivars of muscadine grapes (five bronze skin and five purple skin) grown in southern Georgia were separated into skin, seed, and pulp. Each fruit part and the leaves from the corresponding varieties were extracted for HPLC analysis of major phenolics. Total phenolics were determined colorimetrically using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Total anthocyanins were determined according to a pH-differential method, using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay. Gallic acid, (+)-catechin, and epicatechin were the major phenolics in seeds, with average values of 6.9, 558.4, and 1299.4 mg/100 g of fresh weight (FW), respectively. In the skins, ellagic acid, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, and trans-resveratrol were the major phenolics, with respective average values of 16.5, 8.4, 1.8, 0.6, and 0.1 mg/100 g of FW. Contrary to previous results, ellagic acid and not resveratrol was the major phenolic in muscadine grapes. The HPLC solvent system used coupled with fluorescence detection allowed separation of ellagic acid from resveratrol and detection of resveratrol. Reported here for the first time are the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of muscadine leaves. Major phenolics in muscadine leaves were myricetin, ellagic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, and gallic acid, with average concentrations of 157.6, 66.7, 8.9, 9.8, and 8.6, respectively. Average total phenolics were 2178.8, 374.6, 23.8, and 351.6 mg/g gallic acid equivalent in seed, skin, pulp, and leaves, respectively. Total anthocyanin contents were 2.1 and 132.1 mg/100 g of FW in the skins of bronze and purple grapes, respectively, and 4.3 and 4.6 mg/100 g of FW in seeds and pulps, in that order. Antioxidant capacity values were, on average, 2.4, 12.8, 281.3, and 236.1 microM TEAC/g of FW for pulps, skins, seeds, and leaves, respectively.     

Multivariate analysis of antioxidant power and polyphenolic composition in red wines

It has been demonstrated that the dietary intake of compounds having antioxidant activity is very important, and various chemical, biological, and electrochemical methods have been proposed to evaluate the antioxidant power of compounds such as polyphenols. Wine, although nonessential, has a high polyphenol content up to 2-3 g/L in red wines obtained by traditional maceration. The polyphenol content of wines is usually evaluated by the Folin reagent, which provides an appropriate response to the requirements of wine manufacturers. Because the presence of individual polyphenols may be evaluated by HPLC, more or less selective methods toward the various chemical classes of polyphenols have been developed. An HPLC method set up recently was applied to evaluate how individual polyphenols contributed to the overall antioxidant power (AOP) of 60 Italian red wines, trying to identify the effect that individual compounds may have on the total AOP. Application of the multivariate analysis allowed us to detect some determining compounds such as gallic acid and some flavonols. On the basis of the correlation between two traditional chemical methods, namely the total polyphenol determination by the Folin reagent and the flavanol determination by the condensation reaction with p-(dimethylamino)-cinnamaldehyde, it was shown that the use of these two merely chemical methods is well correlated (r = 0.83 and 0.87) to an AOP evaluation of red wines.     

Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and cross-cultural consumer rejection threshold in white and red wines functionally enhanced with catechin-rich extracts

White and red wines spiked with catechin-rich green tea extract and grape seed extract were assessed for phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and cross-cultural consumer rejection thresholds in relation to wine as a functional food. Health functionality is an important factor in functional foods, and spiking pure compounds or plant extracts is an effective method to increase or control functionality. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were measured in wines spiked to different extract concentrations, namely, control and 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L, to confirm the dose-response curves in both white and red wines. Consumer rejection thresholds (CRTs) were established for spiked wines in a Korean and in an Australian population. Our results showed that the green tea extract and grape seed extract increased the antioxidant activity dose dependently, and the CRTs varied considerably between the Korean and the Australian groups, with Koreans preferring wines spiked with green tea extract and Australians showing a preference for wines spiked with grape seed extract. These results have implications for producing wine products that are enhanced in phenolic compounds and targeted to different cultural groups.     

Characterization of phenolic profiles of Northern European berries by capillary electrophoresis and determination of their antioxidant activity

Berries are known to contain phenolic substances (i.e., flavonoids and phenolic acids), which comprise two large and heterogeneous groups of biologically active nonnutrients. This investigation evaluated the content and profile of the phenolic compounds present in six different berries found in Northern Europe. The latter included bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), black currant (Ribes nigrum), and red currant (Ribes rubrum). The study was focused on two areas. The first involved the extraction and analysis of berries for total phenolic content and determination of their antioxidant activity. The total phenolic level of berries was correlated with their antioxidant activity. Second, the berry extracts were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis to determine the content and profile of selected bioactive compounds. The analytes of interest included trans-resveratrol, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, and morin.     

Antioxidant capacities and phenolics levels of French wines from different varieties and vintages.

Phenolics from grapes and wines can play a role against oxidation and development of atherosclerosis. Levels of phenolics, major catechins [(+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, procyanidin dimers B1, B2, B3, and B4], phenolic acids (gallic acid and caffeic acid), caftaric acid, malvidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside were quantified by HPLC with UV detection for 54 French varietal commercial wines taken from southern France to study the antioxidant capacity and the daily dietary intake of these compounds for the French population. The highest antioxidant capacity was obtained with red wines and ranged from 12.8 mmol/L (Grenache) to 25.2 mmol/L (Pinot Noir). For white wines, Chardonnay enriched in phenolics by special wine-making was found to have an antioxidant capacity of 13.8 mmol/L, comparable to red wine values. For red wines classified by vintages (1996-1999) antioxidant capacities were approximately 20 mmol/L and then decreased to 13.4 mmol/L for vintages 1995-1991. Sweet white wines have 1.7 times more antioxidant capacity (3.2 mmol/L) than dry white wines (1.91 mmol/L). On the basis of a still significant French wine consumption of 180 mL/day/person, the current daily intake of catechins (monomers and dimers B1, B2, B3, and B4) averaged 5 (dry white wine), 4.36 (sweet white wines), 7.70 (rosé wines), 31.98 (red wines), and 66.94 (dry white wine enriched in phenolic) mg/day/resident for the French population. Red wine, and particularly Pinot Noir, Egiodola, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot varieties, or Chardonnay enriched in phenolics during wine-making for white varieties contribute to a very significant catechin dietary intake.     

Phenolic composition of champagnes from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vintages

Nineteen phenolic compounds including hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, phenolic alcohols, and phenolic aldehydes have been identified and quantified in two monovarietal champagnes, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, by using a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system coupled with diode array detection. The identification of four hydroxycinnamic tartaric esters (caftaric, coutaric, fertaric, and 2-S-glutathionylcaftaric acids), two flavanonols (astilbin and engeletin), and some other compounds was confirmed by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. Caftaric acid and tyrosol were the major phenols. Hydroxybenzoic acids and flavonoids were present at low concentrations. The phenolic compositions of 2000 and 2001 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vary quantitatively according to the year and the variety, but the chemical natures of the molecules are the same. The total phenolic content determined by colorimetric measurement ranges from 176 to 195 mg/L of gallic acid equivalent and is similar to that described in white wines.     

Unravelling the total antioxidant capacity of pinotage wines: contribution of phenolic compounds

The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and phenolic composition of 139 Pinotage wines (2002 and 2003 vintages) were determined using the 2,2'-azino-di(3-ethylbenzo-thialozine-sulfonic acid) scavenging assay and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The contribution of individually quantified phenolic compounds to the wine TAC was calculated using their concentrations and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values. The TEAC values of quercetin-3-galactoside, isorhamnetin, and peonidin-3-glucoside are reported for the first time. Between 11 and 24% of the measured TAC of Pinotage wines was explained by the sum of the calculated contributions of their quantified phenolic compounds comprising monomeric phenolic compounds and procyanidin B1. Ultrafiltration was carried out to attempt separation of monomeric and polymeric phenolic compounds. Analysis of ultrafiltration permeates and retentates enabled estimation of the TAC contribution of large molecular weight (MW) unknown compounds (46%) (>50 kDa), including oligomeric and polymeric phenolic compounds and small MW unknown compounds (34%) (<50 kDa). Three mixtures, containing 12 phenolic compounds in typical concentrations expected in Pinotage wines, exhibited 16-23% synergistic antioxidant activity. This suggests that synergy between phenolic compounds does play a role in the wine TAC but that it does not explain the large discrepancy between measured and calculated TAC values.     

Extraction of phenolics and changes in antioxidant activity of red wines during vinification.

The moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages has been associated with protection against the development of coronary heart disease. Although alcohol itself can help prevent coronary heart disease through a number of mechanisms, red wine appears to offer protection above and beyond that attributable to alcohol alone. Red wine is a complex fluid containing grape, yeast, and wood-derived phenolic compounds, the majority of which have been recognized as potent antioxidants. The aim of this study was to investigate the major phenolic contributors to the antioxidant activity of wine. To this end, four wines were followed during the first 7-9 days of vinification. Individual phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC, and antioxidant activity was determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The extraction of the phenolics was found to be influenced by vinification procedure, grape quality, and grape variety. Although fermenting wines reached a total phenolic content comparable to that of a bottled wine after 9 days of vinification, the antioxidant activity was significantly lower than that of a finished wine. This suggests that the larger polyphenolic complexes and condensation products that appear during aging make a sizable contribution to the overall antioxidant activity of red wines.     

Identification of (poly)phenolic compounds in concord grape juice and their metabolites in human plasma and urine after juice consumption

Analysis of Concord grape juice by HPLC with ESI-MS(n), PDA, and fluorescence detection resulted in the identification and quantification of 60 flavonoids and related phenolic compounds, which were present at an overall concentration of 1508 ± 31 μmol/L. A total of 25 anthocyanins were detected, which were mono- and di-O-glucosides, O-acetylglucosides, O-p-coumaroyl-O-diglucosides, and O-p-coumaroylglucosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin. The anthocyanins represented 46% of the total phenolic content of the juice (680 μmol/L). Tartaric esters of hydroxycinnamic acids, namely, trans-caftaric and trans-coutaric acids, and to a lesser extent trans-fertaric acid accounted for 29% of the phenolic content, with a total concentration of 444 μmol/L, of which 85% comprised trans-caftaric acid. Free hydroxycinnamic acids were also quantified but contributed to <1% of the total phenolic content (8.4 μmol/L). The other groups of polyphenolic compounds present in the juice, accounting for 24% of the total, comprised monomeric and oligomeric units of (epi)catechin and (epi)gallocatechin (248 μmol/L), flavonols (76 μmol/L), gallic acid (51 μmol/L), and trans-resveratrol (1.5 μmol/L). The bioavailability of the (poly)phenolic compounds in 350 mL of juice was investigated following acute intake by healthy volunteers. Plasma and urine were collected over 0-24 h and analyzed for parent compounds and metabolites. In total, 41 compounds, principally metabolites, were identified.     

Solid‐State Bioprocessing with Cordyceps militaris Enhanced Antioxidant Activity and DNA Damage Protection of Red Beans (Phaseolus angularis)

In this study, red beans were bioprocessed by using a novel solid‐state fermentation (SSF) with an edible and medical filamentous fungus Cordyceps militaris . The effect of SSF on the total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and DNA damage protection of red beans was determined. Furthermore, solvents with different polarities (80% methanol, 80% ethanol, 80% acetone, and deionized water) were used to extract antioxidant compounds from the red bean samples. The results indicated that SSF significantly enhanced TPC, 2,2‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation scavenging activity, reducing power, and chelating ability of red beans. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated that fermented red beans exhibited greater protection against oxidative DNA damage than nonfermented red beans. Besides, the water extract of fermented red beans showed the highest TPC, antioxidant activity, and DNA damage protection among the various extracts examined. For the specific phenolics profile, HPLC analysis was performed, which showed that gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, daidzein, quercetin, and genistein of red beans were increased during SSF. There was a positive correlation among phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and DNA damage protection. Thus, this study demonstrated that SSF with C. militaris is an effective method for the enhancement of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and DNA damage protection of red beans.     

Free radical scavenging properties and phenolic content of Chinese black-grained wheat

Free radical scavenging properties and phenolic content of extracts from a novel Chinese black-grained wheat were evaluated for comparison with selected wheat controls. Extracts of bran and whole meal were compared for their scavenging activities against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The total phenolic content and phenolic acid levels were determined using colorimetric and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, respectively. There were significant differences in radical scavenging activities and phenolic contents among bran or whole meal samples of Chinese black-grained wheat and selected wheat controls. Chinese black-grained wheat had the strongest scavenging activity and the highest total phenolic content among the wheat samples. The scavenging activity and total phenolic content of wheat bran was generally twice as high as that of whole meal. A positive correlation was found between DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content of bran (R = 0.86) and whole meal (R = 0.96). In addition, HPLC analysis detected the presence of gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric, vanillic, gentisic, o-coumaric acid, and ferulic acids in wheat bran. Ferulic acid content was highest among the phenolic acids. Chinese black-grained wheat may be considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants given its high free radical scavenging ability and phenolic content. Additional research is needed to further investigate other phenolic compounds and evaluate their contribution to the antioxidant activity in order to understand the nutraceutical value of the novel black-grained wheat genotype.