title: Polyphenol content and antioxidative activity in some species of freshly consumed salads.
abstract: Ten genotypes belonging to Lactuca sativa, Cicorium intybus, Plantago coronopus, Eruca sativa, and Diplotaxis tenuifolia and used in fresh mixed salads were investigated for their polyphenol contents. Flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/diode array detection/mass spectrometry. Quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, apigenin, and crysoeriol derivatives were identified; hydroxycinnamic acids were all caffeoyl derivatives. The total polyphenol content was obtained through the Folin-Ciocalteu test and from the HPLC data. The amounts ranged between 0.9 and 4.7 mg/g fresh weight. The antiradical activity was determined by the reaction with the stable DPPH* radical. The Fe2+ chelating activity was determined with a spectrophotometric test. From the complex of data, a quite complete picture of the characteristics of the vegetables emerges. A cultivated C. intybus cultivar exhibited the highest polyphenol content, while a wild C. intybus genotype exhibited the highest antiradical activity. In every case, the characteristics of the different salads as functional foods have been pointed out.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza del Suolo e Nutrizione della Pianta, Università degli Studi di Firenze, P.le delle Cascine 18, 50144 Firenze, Italy. daniela.heimler@unifi.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heimler
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Isolani
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vignolini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tombelli
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D018651:Cichorium intybus / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D010943:Plantago / Q000737:chemistry; D059808:Polyphenols
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols