Evaluation of different coloured carrot cultivars on antioxidative capacity based on their carotenoid and phenolic contents

Abstract

We compared five new carrot cultivars with a conventional cultivar in consideration of their content of carotenoids, phenolics and according antioxidative capacity. We chose the following cultivars: orange, white, yellow, red, solid-coloured purple and purple with an orange core. Examinations were conducted over two cultivation periods (2003 and 2004). The white, yellow and solid-coloured purple cultivars showed quite low contents of carotenoids, but the solid-coloured purple contained most phenolic compounds. The red cultivar was the only that contained lycopene. The content of carotenoids varied slightly between the two years; alpha-carotene showed noteworthy differences in the orange cultivar and the purple cultivar with an orange core. The higher alpha-carotene content resulted in a higher antioxidative capacity. Also, the lycopene content in the red cultivar was higher in 2004 than in 2003, which again lead to an increased antioxidative capacity. In the case of phenolics, higher values were found for the purple-coloured cultivars in 2004, which only in the case of the purple cultivar with an orange core, however, led to a higher antioxidative capacity.

The Content of Phenolic Compounds and Radical Scavenging Activity Varies with Carrot Origin and Root Color

“…The results obtained are congruent with the report that antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic extracts of carrot roots correlated with the total phenol content [33]. Chlorogenic acid, total phenols and total anthocyanins significantly correlated with total antioxidant capacity measured using DPPH and ABTS methods in hydrophilic phase extracts from root of different colors [3].…”

Quantitative analysis, in vitro assessment of bioavailability and antioxidant activity of food carotenoids—A review

“…Papers reporting the antioxidant activity of foods in relation to these compounds are much fewer and the results lack coherence. Although some papers reported that carotenoids contributed to the antioxidant activity of foods (Arnao et al, 2001;Dewanto et al, 2002;Di Vaio et al, 2008;Gliszczyń ska-Ś wigło et al, 2006;Grassmann et al, 2007;Sá nchezMoreno et al, 2003;Zanfini et al, 2010), in others no correlation was found between the carotenoid content and the antioxidant capacity (Ancos et al, 2002;Choi et al, 2007;Lavelli et al, 2009) or the antioxidant contribution of carotenoids was negligible (Gardner et al, 2000) or lower than those of phenolic compounds (Gil et al, 2002) or vitamin C (Valle et al, 2007).…”

How to understand the complexity of product quality and the challenges in differentiating between organically and conventionally grown products—exemplified by fresh and heat-processed carrots (Daucus carota L.)

“…However, by using porcine endothelial cells, Metzger et al (2008) demonstrated that the antiinflammatory activity of purple carrots was due to polyacetylene compounds rather than anthocyanins. A recent study compared different varieties of carrots and found that the white, yellow and purple varieties had a low content of carotenoids, while the purple variety contained the highest level of phenolic compounds (Grassmann et al 2007). Only the red-pigmented varieties contained lycopene.…”