Articles
Antioxidant activity and total phenols in capers (Capparis spinosa)
Article number
1254_46
Pages
311 – 316
Language
English
Abstract
Caper bush have been used since ancient times in Indian ethnomedicine.
They have been used for anti-microbial purposes, to relieve cough and flu, as an antidote against poisons, as well as prevention of heart and liver diseases, among others.
In Spain, they are used for feeding the floral buds, unripe fruits and tender shoots pickles.
Although these species have been cultivated since ancient times, it is made in a minority form in Spain, so the cultivars have not been investigated in depth.
In this work two cultivars have been studied, one harvested in Orihuela (Alicante) and another in Serón (Almería). As phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity are the parameters that contribute the most to the functional properties of food, in this work the total antioxidant activity (TAA) of flower buds (capers) has been quantified in 6 stages of development (nonpareilles, surfines, capucines, capotes, fines and gruesas). The TAA of the extracts has been quantified by the ABTS, FRAP and DPPH methods and the values being similar for both cultivars.
In addition, the TAA of the water-soluble (H-TAA) and liposoluble (L-TAA) fractions has been determined by the ABTS method.
The H-TAA has been between 9 and 40 times greater than the L-TAA in both cultivars, with H-TAA being higher in ‘Serón 3’ than in ‘Orihuela 7’; while L-TAA has been similar in both cultivars.
The tendency of the H-TAA was decreased slightly by increasing the size of the capers, while the L-TAA increased slightly in both cultivars.
Total phenols also tended to decrease with increasing floral bud size, being similar in both cultivars.
Capers present a very high amount of routine (flavonol), reason why the contents in total flavonols are very high and quite similar to the concentration of flavonoids.
They have been used for anti-microbial purposes, to relieve cough and flu, as an antidote against poisons, as well as prevention of heart and liver diseases, among others.
In Spain, they are used for feeding the floral buds, unripe fruits and tender shoots pickles.
Although these species have been cultivated since ancient times, it is made in a minority form in Spain, so the cultivars have not been investigated in depth.
In this work two cultivars have been studied, one harvested in Orihuela (Alicante) and another in Serón (Almería). As phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity are the parameters that contribute the most to the functional properties of food, in this work the total antioxidant activity (TAA) of flower buds (capers) has been quantified in 6 stages of development (nonpareilles, surfines, capucines, capotes, fines and gruesas). The TAA of the extracts has been quantified by the ABTS, FRAP and DPPH methods and the values being similar for both cultivars.
In addition, the TAA of the water-soluble (H-TAA) and liposoluble (L-TAA) fractions has been determined by the ABTS method.
The H-TAA has been between 9 and 40 times greater than the L-TAA in both cultivars, with H-TAA being higher in ‘Serón 3’ than in ‘Orihuela 7’; while L-TAA has been similar in both cultivars.
The tendency of the H-TAA was decreased slightly by increasing the size of the capers, while the L-TAA increased slightly in both cultivars.
Total phenols also tended to decrease with increasing floral bud size, being similar in both cultivars.
Capers present a very high amount of routine (flavonol), reason why the contents in total flavonols are very high and quite similar to the concentration of flavonoids.
Authors
M. Grimalt, M.S. Almansa, A. Amorós, S. García, P. Legua, F. Hernández
Keywords
ABTS, FRAP, DPPH, phenols, flavonoids, flavonols
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