Chemical Compositions and Antioxidative Activities of Sweet Potato Foliages Harvested by the Cultivation Period and Tips Location

Abstract

The foliage of sweet potato [Impomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is an excellent source of food material due to the functional components of polyphenol and carotenoid. In this study, the lightness (L-value), polyphenol contents, and DPPH radical scavenging activity of the foliage of Shinwhangmi, Hayanmi and Suioh cultivars harvested after different cultivation periods (60, 90 and 120 days after planting) and according to tip locations (1st~5th, 6th~10th, 11th~15th tips) were investigated. As a result, Shinwhangmi showed a lower lightness value (60 days after planting and 1st~5th tips). The longer the cultivation periods and the closer the tips, the higher the contents of polyphenol and DPPH radical scavenging activity were in lyophilized foliage of Shinwhangmi, Hayanmi and Suioh. In the 1st~10th tip of Shinwhangmi, Hayanmi and Suioh cultivated for 90 days and dried by 2 step hot-air (1st: 70℃ for 8 hr, 2nd: 80℃ for 4 hr), the polyphenol and β-carotenoid contents were 5.0, 3.9 and 4.0 mg/g and 75.6, 71.6 and 63.1 mg/g, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activities and ABTS radical scavenging activities (EC 50 ) were 0.29, 0.36 and 0.33 mg and 0.12, 0.15 and 0.11 mg, respectively. These antioxidative activities were over two times stronger than spinach.