New Mutant Amaranth Varieties as a Potential Source of Biologically Active Substances

Abstract

Amaranth species represent a diverse group of plants. Many of them are a rich source of secondary metabolites with many positive biological effects. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and rutin content, antioxidant activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, FRAP (Ferric-reducing ability of plasma) assay and DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay were determined in ethanol extracts of dried leaves of the new Slovak amaranth varieties ‘Pribina’ and ‘Zobor’. The amount of total phenolic substances (‘Pribina’ GAE 38.3 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ GAE 26.1 mg.g−1 DM), content of total flavonoids (‘Pribina’ QE 26.5 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ QE 20.3 mg.g−1 DM) and rutin (‘Pribina’ 50.8 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ 15.2 mg.g−1 DM) were higher in the variety ‘Pribina’, compared to the variety ‘Zobor’. A statistically higher antioxidant activity against superoxide radical (1.63%·mg−1g−1 DM), hydroxyl radical (3.20%.mg−1g−1 DM), FRAP assay (292.80 µmol.L−1·mg−1.g−1 DM) and DPPH (54.2 ± 1.78 µg.mL−1 DM) were detected in the ‘Pribina’ variety. Antiradical and antioxidant activities of both extracts showed high positive correlations in relation to the content of total phenolic substances, total flavonoids and rutin. Amaranth is an undemanding crop on specific environmental conditions and is resistant to abiotic and biotic stress.

Does the Invasive Heracleum mantegazzianum Influence Other Species by Allelopathy?

“…Total content of phenolic compounds was determined with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR, Merck, Rahway, NJ, USA) according to the published procedure [66], with slight modifications [67]. Briefly, 0.1 mL of appropriately diluted extract, 0.2 mL of FCR, 2 mL of double distilled water (DDW), and 1 mL of Na 2 CO 3 water solution (20%, w/v) were well-mixed in a test tube.…”

Total Antioxidant Capacity: Biochemical Aspects and Clinical Significance

“…The end-product (Fe 2+ -TPTZ) has an intense blue colour with absorption at 593 nm, which can be monitored using a diode-array spectrophotometer to estimate the sample’s antioxidant capacity in kinetic mode for 60 min at 37 °C [ 21 ]. The FRAP reagent (20 mM FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O solution, 10 mM TPTZ solution in 40 mM and 300 mM acetate buffer in a ratio 1:1:10, v / v / v ) has some limitations due to its preparation, which is time consuming, and it is not stable for a long period of time [ 22 ]. A modification of the FRAP assay that employs Cu rather than Fe ions is called CUPRAC; it is based on the reduction of Cu 2+ to Cu + by the combined action of reducing agents in the sample.…”

Wastewater management for irrigated farming: Composition, morphology and production level variation in amaranthus sp. irrigated with peroxide-aeration treatment recycled cassava processing effluent

“…Amaranthus originated in America and is one of the oldest food crops in the world, with evidence of its cultivation reaching back as far as 6700 BC. Amaranthus species are a highly popular group of vegetables that have been classified into different species (Fejér et al, 2017;Wolosik and Markowska, 2019;Park et al, 2020;Fejér et al, 2021). According to Wolosik and Markowska, (2019), the plant has ecological advantage due to its unique photosynthetic pathway which gives rise to a very efficient assimilation of CO2 as well as more efficient water economy.…”