The Antioxidant Properties of Four Korean Barley Cultivars at Different Harvest Times and Profiling of Major Metabolites

Mi Jin Park,Young-Hwa Kang,Woo Duck Seo

doi:10.5539/jas.v7n10p94

Abstract

Young barley leaves (YLB) have been no studies comparing the antioxidant activities of various cultivars, or differences the antioxidant activity at different harvest times. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in the antioxidant activities of YLB by different cultivars and growth stages. The 4 Korean YLB, Nakyoung, Dahyang, Saegang, and Boanchal, were sprouted, and their total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and ABTS radical cation (ABTS.+) scavenging activity were measured. The 4 cultivars exhibited high total polyphenol contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC), with a range of 1047.8-1263.2 GAE mg.100 g-1 and 443.7-550.7 CE mg.100 g-1, DW, respectively. In addition, they exhibited high levels of ABTS.+ (RC50 value range of 41.8-80.8 ug.mL-1) scavenging activity. After sprouting, the antioxidant activity of the 4 cultivars increased. That is, in these YLB, the TPC, TFC and radical scavenging ability were enhanced by sprouting. Lutonarin (LN) and saponarin (SN) are the major compounds of YLB. LN exhibited stronger radical scavenging activity than SN. Over time, LN contents increased and SN contents decreased. As a result, the antioxidant ability of YLB was improved with increased growing time.

Highlights

Signs of oxidative stress have prompted speculation that antioxidant imbalances may be involved in a number of diseases
It was reported that Young leaves of barley (YLB) had excellent antioxidant activity (Moe & Adlernissen, 1994)
Nackyoung has the highest total polyphenol contents (TPC) with 1076.6 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg/100g and Boanchal has the predominant total flavonoid contents (TFC) with 593.4 catechin hydrate equivalents (CE) mg/100 g, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Signs of oxidative stress have prompted speculation that antioxidant imbalances may be involved in a number of diseases. Factors that cause oxidative stress, such as free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS), are continuously formed in the human body. The effects of oxidative stress are prevented or mitigated by the removal of free radicals. The presence of antioxidants can prevent free radical-derived oxidative stress. Plants produce antioxidants as secondary metabolites, in particular, as a form of defense (Scandalios, 1990). Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a widely consumed grain because of its dietary health benefits, ready availability, reasonable cost, and processing properties, which make it a good choice for use in a number of products (Moe & Adlernissen, 1994). Our previous study showed that young barley leaves (YLB) contain various phytochemicals, such as polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids (Park et al, 2014).

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