ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF DIFFERENT LEEK TYPES AND THE COMPARISON WITH ITS RELATED SPECIES

Extracts of the white part and green leaves of 3 leek cultivars and 7 related species (Egyptian leek, Chinese leek, chives, onion (red and white), bunching onion and shallot) were investigated for their antioxidant properties, including free radical scavenging activities against peroxyl (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH) and their Fe³⁺ reducing capacity (FRAP). The results from this study suggest that the green leaves generally have significantly stronger antioxidant properties than the white part, except for the ORAC and DPPH results of Allium fistulosum (bunching onion) and the DPPH results of Allium cepa (onion, ‘Red Creole’). In general, extracts of red onion gave the highest antioxidant capacity.
The antioxidant capacity of the white shaft of leek was in most of the cases in the same range as the antioxidant capacity of the bulb of the related species, except for Allium cepa (‘Red Creole’) and Allium fistulosum. The green leaves of leek contained a significantly lower antioxidant capacity as compared with the green leaves of the other related species.

VI International Symposium on Edible Alliaceae

N. Bernaert, M. De Loose, B. Van Droogenbroeck

Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, chive, onion, shallot, ORAC, DPPH, FRAP

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.969.30