TITLE:
Flavonoid Contents and Antioxidant Activity in Fruit, Vegetables and Other Types of Food
AUTHORS:
Juliana Cristina Pereira Calado, Paula Adriana Albertão, Erica Aparecida de Oliveira, Mario Henrique Sisto Letra, Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland Sawaya, Maria Cristina Marcucci
KEYWORDS:
Amount of Lipids, Antioxidant Activity, Chemometric Analysis, Fat Content, Flavonoids, Food, Fruit, Vegetables
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.6 No.4,
April
15,
2015
ABSTRACT: Flavonoids are a
class of natural polyphenolic compounds which cannot be synthesized by humans.
These substances possess a series of biological properties, acting on
biological systems as antioxidants. The purpose of this study was to analyze
the properties of certain foods, determining the total flavonoids as well as
their antioxidant activity and fat concentration. We evaluated several foods
purchased at the local market, with respect to its antioxidant activity, using
two experimental models, the discoloration of DPPH˙ radical and ABTS-.
Some foods such as pitanga showed antioxidant activity. The lipid content of
fatty foods like aaí, cacao and cupuaú was determined. Other foods, including
pitanga, aaí, cacao and cupuaú, were evaluated for flavonoid content and
antioxidant activity using multivariate statistical analysis (PCA) as a
statistical tool to evaluate the correlation between these two parameters. As
samples with ED50 up to 500 μg/mL show promising antioxidant
activity, several Brazilian fruit and vegetables could be consumed to this end,
with a good correlation between flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in
most samples. The daily dose of different types of food for antioxidant
activity has been calculated based on these results.