title: Conventional, organic and biodynamic farming: differences in polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of Batavia lettuce.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lactuca sativa L. ssp. acephala L., cv. Batavia red Mohican plants were cultivated under intensive conventional, organic and biodynamic farming and were analyzed for their polyphenol content and antiradical activity in order to demonstrate the influence of farming on yield, polyphenol content and antiradical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The yield of plants from conventional farming was the highest (2.89 kg m⁻²), while polyphenol content, measured by spectrophotometry, of these plants was lower at P < 0.05 (1.36 mg g⁻¹) than the content of plants from organic and biodynamic farming (1.74 and 1.85 mg g⁻¹, respectively). The antiradical activity, measured by DPPH · assay, was positively correlated to flavonoid and hydroxycinnamic acid contents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Flavonoid, hydroxycinnamic acid and anthocyan patterns were not affected by the type of cultivation, while quantitative differences were demonstrated and some differences were found between conventional farming and organic or biodynamic farming. The yield of conventionally grown salads was the highest.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Vegetali, del Suolo e dell'Ambiente Agroforestale, University of Florence, 50144 Florence, Italy. daniela.heimler@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heimler
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vignolini
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arfaioli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Isolani
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
mesh_terms: D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000032:analysis*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D055951:Functional Food / Q000032:analysis; D005858:Germany; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D058871:Organic Agriculture; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D000975:Antioxidants; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D059808:Polyphenols