Polyphenol and flavonoid profiles and radical scavenging activity in leafy vegetable Amaranthus gangeticus

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundRed amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticusL.) has great diversity in Bangladesh, India, and South East Asia with multipurpose uses. The bright red-violet coloredA. gangeticusis a popular and low-cost leafy vegetable in the Asian continent including Bangladesh and India because of attractive leaf color, taste, adequate nutraceuticals, phenolic compounds, and sole source of betalains. The natural colors and phenolic compounds of this species have a significant role in promoting the health-benefit including the scavenging capacity of radicals, the colorant of food products, and play a vital role in the industry of foods. However, phenolic profiles and radical scavenging activity of this species have not been evaluated.Hence, for the first time, four selected advance lines ofA. gangeticuswere characterized for phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality.ResultsA. gangeticusgenotypes are abundant sources of phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents with good radical quenching capacity that differed across the genotypes. Twenty-five phenolic acids and flavonoids, such as protocatechuic acid, salicylic acid, gentisic acid, gallic acid, β-resorcylic acid, vanillic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol,m-coumaric acid,trans-cinnamic acid, quercetin,p-coumaric acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, rutin, sinapic acid, isoquercetin, naringenin, myricetin, catechin, and hyperoside were identified inA. gangeticusaccessions.A. gangeticusaccessions LS7 and LS9 demonstrated ample phenolic acids, flavonoids, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality. It revealed from the correlation study that antioxidant components ofA. gangeticusgenotypes exhibited good radical scavenging activities. The genotypes LS7 and LS9 could be directly used as phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant activity enrich cultivars.ConclusionsThe identified compounds of phenolic acids and flavonoids inA. gangeticusprivilege the comprehensive study of pharmacology. The basic information on phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents achieved in the present study will provide the scientist’s forum for the scientific assessment of these compounds inA. gangeticus.