MICROWAVE AND TRADITIONAL COOKING METHODS: EFFECT OF COOKING ON ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AND PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS CONTENT OF SEVEN VEGETABLES

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of microwave, boiling and pressure cooking on total antioxidant capacity and total phenolics content of seven vegetables were studied. Total phenolics in raw and cooked vegetables were determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, whereas the total antioxidant capacity of vegetables extracts was evaluated using the Crocin method. After boiling, four out of seven vegetables (cauliflower, peas, spinach and Swiss chard) showed a significant decrease in their total phenolic content (P < 0.05). No decrease or a smaller decrease was observed for these four vegetables (P < 0.05) after pressure cooking and/or microwaving than after boiling. The total antioxidant capacity of potato and Swiss chard was not significantly affected by cooking procedures, whereas it decreased for spinach and peas, and it increased for tomato and carrots (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a statistically significant correlation between total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity in cooked and uncooked vegetables, but the strength of the correlation increased when separating carotenoid-poor from carotenoid-rich vegetables. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS All guidelines for a healthy nutrition include recommendation for increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables also because of their phenolic compounds content and antioxidant capacity. However, all studies correlating antioxidants consumption and health benefits relate food consumption studies with antioxidant capacity of foods, neglecting to consider the chemical composition changes that may occur during cooking. This study provides data in order to better understand the implication on the total antioxidant capacity of foods due to different cooking approaches.