A comparison of the antioxidant properties of selected edible sprouts of the Legumes family

Abstract

Germinating seeds of the Legumes family are a natural source of valuable nutrients. The aim of the study was to compare the antioxidant properties of selected edible sprouts from the Legumes family. Lentil and mung bean seeds purchased from PNOS Ożarów Mazowiecki S.A. were used for the study. The seeds were moistened in distilled water and germinated in Petri dishes lined with filter paper, in natural light conditions, at 22°C. Two methods were used to measure the total antioxidant capacity of aqueous extracts of the seedlings: the ABTS method based on reduction of ABTS●+ cation radical and the FRAP method based on iron (III) ion reduction. The antioxidant properties were measured using the ABTS method on days 1-6 of growth. Similar antioxidant content per 1 g of fresh weight was obtained for the two kinds of sprouts (66.34 to 55.95 mmol trolox∙g-1 FW for mung beans, 72.55 to 56.98 mmol trolox∙g-1 FW for lentils). Then antioxidant content per seedling was calculated and found to increase with the time of growth; on day 6 it attained a value of 5.00 mmol trolux in the case of mung beans and 7.60 mmol trolox in the case of lentils. Similar dependencies were obtained using the FRAP method. Antioxidant content per seedling was highest on day 6 - 8.58 μmol Fe2+ equivalent for mung beans and 2.23 μmol Fe2+ equivalent for lentils. The results obtained in this study can be used to identify which sprouts have the highest antioxidant properties and to choose the optimal time for consuming them.