Higher Total Ascorbic Acid Research Articles

Determination of Biochemical Composition and Pigment Content in Legume and Cereal Microgreens

Background: Legumes and cereals microgreens are consumed both in healthy nutrition and as a natural food against many degenerative diseases due to their rich bioactive content. The research was carried out to determine the biochemical contents of 5 legumes and 7 cereals. Methods: The research was conducted in Van Yuzuncu Yıl University Field Crops Department Laboratory in 2020, in a controlled growing environment, according to the completely randomized experimental design. Total antioxidant activity, total phenolic, total flavonoid and total ascorbic acid contents and total Chlorophyll, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b and Carotenoid contents and correlation between them were determined. Result: The differences between the means of all traits were found to be significant. The biochemical contents of cereals were 1.6-7 times higher than legumes. There was no big difference between the pigment values. In legumes, Bilensoy alfalfa had the highest total antioxidat activity and total flavonoid content, Uzbek lentil total phenolic content and Goynuk bean had the highest Total ascorbic acid. In cereals, Kirklar oat had the highest total antioxidat activity, total phenolic, total flavonoid and total ascorbic acid contents, while Larende barley had the lowest values (except total ascorbic acid content). While total Chlorophyll and Chlorophyll a amounts were highest in Kirklar barley and lowest in Uzbek lentils, the opposite situation occurred in Chlorophyll b and Carotenoid amounts. There was no significant correlation between biochemical parameters in legumes. There was a positive and significant correlation between total phenolic content with total antioxidant activity and between total ascorbic acid with total fenolic content in cereals. There were positive and significant correlations between all pigment parameters in both legumes and cereals.

The Effects of Nutrient Solution Feeding Regime on Yield, Mineral Profile, and Phytochemical Composition of Spinach Microgreens

Microgreens are receiving increasing popularity as functional and healthy foods due to their nutritional value and high content of bioactive compounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of nutrient deprivation through the regulation of nutrient solution (NS) feeding days on the plant growth and chemical composition of spinach microgreens. For this purpose, spinach microgreens were subjected to four different fertigation treatments—namely, 0 (control), 5, 10, and 20 NS feeding days before harvesting—and harvested tissues were evaluated with regard to fresh and dry yield, color of true leaves, antioxidant activity, and chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phenolic compound contents. The results of our study revealed that prolonged NS feeding (20 NS) resulted in the highest fresh yield and photosynthetic pigment contents (chlorophylls, lutein, and β-carotene). In contrast, mineral concentrations (P, K, Ca, and Mg) were the lowest for the 20 NS, whereas the control (0 NS) and 5 NS recorded the highest concentrations. Apart from that, spinach microgreens subjected to 10 NS treatment recorded 70.7% less nitrates, better mineral concentrations, 7.0% higher total ascorbic acid, similar polyphenol contents, higher DM%, and only 12.6% yield decrease compared to 20 NS treatment. In conclusion, although the highest overall fresh yield was recorded with the 20 NS treatment, the highest nitrate concentrations and the lowest mineral concentrations may raise food safety concerns. On the other hand, 10 NS treatment seems to be the most promising, since it combined high yields with high mineral concentrations and low nitrate concentrations, without compromising bioactive compound (e.g., polyphenols) contents, presenting a cost-effective and sustainable practice for microgreen cultivation.

Analyzing Biological Properties of Some Plum Genotypes Grown in Turkey

ABSTRACT In the current study, the biochemical components, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, and antimutagenic activity of 5 plum (Demal, White Cancur, Cancur, Red plum, and Sugar plum) fruits grown in Posof/Ardahan, Turkey were investigated. While other genotypes are cultured, Demal genotype grows wild. The highest total ascorbic acid (TAC; 454 mg/100 g FW (fresh weight)) and total flavonoid content (TFC; 29.1 mg/100 g FW) were detected in Red plum genotype. The Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2ʹ-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) values were obtained highest in Sugar plum (563.8 µmol/g and 50.9%, respectively). 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) content among the plum genotypes was also insignificant. Gallic acid, naringin, resveratrol, and caffeic acid were the predominant phenolic compounds in plum fruits. The resveratrol content in Red plum was significantly higher. The total sugar was found maximum in White Cancur and Cancur genotypes (545.15 and 546.08 mg/g, respectively). Twenty-three fatty acids were identified and quantified. Palmitic acid was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA) in all samples. It was observed that all the plum extracts, except Cancur, exhibited antibacterial activity against the experimental bacteria. Further, different doses of plum extracts exhibited the antimutagenic effect.

Developmental changes in antioxidant metabolites, enzymes, and pigments in fruit exocarp of four tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes: β-carotene, high pigment-1, ripening inhibitor, and ‘Rutgers’

In surface cell layers of fleshy fruit, antioxidants must limit photooxidative reactions that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in high light. Our objective was to measure changes in the concentrations of antioxidant metabolites and pigments, and the activities of enzymes of the Mehler-peroxidase, ascorbate-glutathione cycle in fruit exocarp tissue under non-stress conditions of the following fruit-specific tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. = Solanum lycopersicum) mutants and their parent: (1) β-carotene ( B), (2) high pigment ( hp-1), (3) ripening inhibitor ( rin), and (4) the nearly isogenic wild-type ‘Rutgers’. Developmental variables included days after anthesis (DAA) and fruit surface color. The highest total ascorbic acid (AsA) concentration was in the exocarp of immature green fruit of hp-1, being 32% higher than ‘Rutgers’. The hp-1 mutant also had the highest chlorophyll and total carotenoid concentrations, comprised mostly of lycopene in red ripe fruit; whereas, β-carotene comprised 90% of the carotenoids in B. Although enzyme activities varied within genotype, they generally increased with development, then decreased as fruit maturity was reached, being coupled with AsA and glutathione (GSH) concentrations. In all mutants, dark-green (DG) exocarp had more chlorophyll and protein, higher concentrations of reduced AsA and GSH, and usually lower enzyme activities than light-green (LG) exocarp taken from the same fruit.