Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of some fruit and vegetable foods: efficiency of extraction of a sequence of solvents |
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Authors: | Nicoletta Pellegrini Barbara Colombi Sara Salvatore Oreste V Brenna Gianni Galaverna Daniele Del Rio Marta Bianchi Richard N Bennett Furio Brighenti |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Public Health, University of Parma, 39 Via Volturno, I‐43100 Parma, Italy;2. Department of Food Science and Microbiology, University of Milan, 2 Via Celoria, I‐20133 Milan, Italy;3. Department of Organic and Industrial Chemistry, University of Parma, 17/A Parco Area delle Scienze, I‐43100 Parma, Italy;4. CECEA, Departamento de Fitotecnia e Engenharia Rural, Universidade de Trás‐os Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, P‐5000‐911 Vila Real, Portugal |
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Abstract: | All methods for assessing the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of food samples are strongly affected by the solvents used during extraction. In recent years a sequential solvent extraction procedure utilising water and acetone has been widely used for TAC measurements of foods. To better understand the efficiency of this procedure in terms of the amount of extracted antioxidants and the subsequent measurement of TAC, two vegetables (onion and spinach) and two fruits (orange and tomato) were sequentially extracted with water, acetone and chloroform. Each extract fraction was analysed separately for its content of known antioxidant compounds by specific procedures and for its TAC by the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay. The results showed that the compounds in the water and acetone extracts were the main contributors to TAC. The chloroform extracts did not contribute to TAC, with the exception of the spinach extract, owing to the presence of low levels of carotenoids. In conclusion, the analysed extraction procedure was more effective for foods rich in water‐soluble antioxidants than for those rich in lipid‐soluble antioxidants. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Keywords: | antioxidant capacity sequential extraction procedure antioxidant compounds vegetables fruits |
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