title: Eruca sativa: Benefits as antioxidants source versus risks of already banned pesticides.
abstract: Eruca sativa (rocket salad) has been intensely consumed all over the world, insomuch as, this work was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant status and the environmental contamination (positive and negative nutritional contribution) of leaves and stems from this vegetable. Antioxidant capacity of rocket salad was assessed by mean of optical methods, such as the total phenolic content (TPC), reducing power assay and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The extent of the environmental contamination was reached through the quantification of thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCP) by using gas chromatography coupled with electron-capture detector (GC-ECD) and compound confirmations employing gas chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The OCP residues were extracted by using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) methodology.The extent of the environmental contamination was reached through the quantification of thirteen OCP by using gas chromatography coupled with electron-capture detector (GC-ECD) and compound confirmations employing GC-MS/MS. The OCP residues were extracted by using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) methodology. This demonstrated that leaves presented more antioxidant activity than stems, emphasizing that leaves contained six times more polyphenolic compounds than stems. In what concerns the OCP occurrence, the average recoveries obtained at the three levels tested (40, 60 and 80 µg kg(-1)) ranged from 55% to 149% with a relative standard deviation of 11%, (except hexachrorobenzene). Three vegetables samples were collected from supermarkets and analysed following this study. According to data, only one sample achieved 16.21 of β-hexachlorocyclohexane, confirmed by GC-MS/MS. About OCP quantification, the data indicated that only one sample achieved 16.21 µg kg(-1) of β-hexachlorocyclohexane, confirmed by GC-MS/MS, being the QuEChERS a good choice for the of OCPs extraction. Furthermore, the leaves consumption guaranty higher levels of antioxidants than stems.
authors.affiliation: a REQUIMTE/LAQV, Superior Institute of Engineering of Porto, Polytechnic Institute of Porto R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: M Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correia-Sá
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: M Fátima
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: Valentina F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delerue-Matos
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D011174:Portugal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D010575:Pesticides
keywords: GC-ECD; GC-MS/MS; QuEChERS; Rocket salad; antioxidant capacity; organochlorine pesticides