Total Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Wild and Cultivated Asparagus in Croatia

Abstract

SUMMARYAsparagus is an interesting vegetable as a part of a healthy diet and has been widely studied due to the high nutritional value and potential positive effects on human health. Wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius L.) grows along the Adriatic coast and islands, while the cultivated asparagus (A. officinalis L.) is mostly grown in the eastern region of Croatia. The aim of this study was to determine total polyphenol content (measured spectrophotometrically) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) in wild and cultivated asparagus. No significant differences in total polyphenol content were found between wild and cultivated asparagus. The highest content of polyphenols in wild asparagus was 6. [mg GAE/g fresh weight] and 49.60 [mg GAE/g dry weight], and in cultivated asparagus it was 4.52 [mg GAE/g fresh weight] and 50.93 [mg GAE/g dry weight]. Antioxidant activity measured using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method showed statistically significant difference. Higher antioxidant activity was measured in cultivated than in wild asparagus. The results also indicate that increased polyphenol content leads to higher antioxidant activity, but more so in the cultivated asparagus. Based on the results, the cultivated asparagus is an excellent alternative to wild asparagus that should be protected from over-harvesting, thus preventing devastation of plant diversity of islands and coast.

Phytochemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Asparagus acutifolius: A Focus on Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Lipase Inhibitory and Antimicrobial Activities

“…This genin was the major one found in our samples as it is commonly found in the Asparagaceae family [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. The glycosidic composition was also analyzed in order to obtain more information about the structural characteristics of the identified saponins, especially the major ones such as HTSAP-1, ACSAP-1, HTSAP-3 and HTSAP-6.…”

“…Surprisingly, in the ABTS test, the pericarp was the most active extract. In the literature, most of the research on the antioxidant activity of A. acutifolius extracts was carried out on extracts obtained from the shoots, which are the edible parts [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, its different organs (leaf, stem, rhizome and fruit) have no commercial value and very little research has been carried out on them.…”

“…Asparagus contains flavonoids (mainly rutin) and other phenolic compounds which possess strong antioxidant properties [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. The potential health benefits of the antioxidants in asparagus include reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases [ 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Composition of polyphenols of asparagus spears (Asparagus officinalis) and their antioxidant potential

“…A characteristic feature of this group of plants is the fact that its root system does not wither in autumn, at the end of the vegetation season, but during winter. Because of the presence of many minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds, asparagus has a beneficial effect on human health (PALfI et al, 2017;DRoSt, 2018). the edible parts of asparagus also contain certain amounts of phytosterols, which reduce blood cholesterol level.…”

Biological Activities of Wild Asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius L.)

“…We therefore consider that within the scope of this study A. acutifolius is a plant worthy of additional investigation. At the same time, while research exists on the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of A. acutifolius spears [10,[15][16][17][18], to the best of our knowledge there is virtually no information on the biological activities of A. acutifolius fruit and leaves. With these aspects in mind, the objectives of the present study are to evaluate the antioxidant capacities, the cytotoxic activity and the total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents of the ethanol and water extracts of various parts from A. acutifolius.…”