Antioxidant activities of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz extracts

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 97; no. 3; pp. 452 - 458
• Main Authors: Ordoñez, A.A.L., Gomez, J.D., Vattuone, M.A., lsla, M.I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: antioxidant activity; Antioxidant capacity; aqueous solutions; Biological and medical sciences; ethanol; extraction; Food industries; food preservatives; food processing; functional foods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; leaves; Sechium edule; seed extracts; stems; Antioxidant capacity; Sechium edule; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Cucurbitaceae; Spermatophyta; Extract; Antioxidant
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.05.024

The antioxidant activities (AA) of Sechium edule extracts were tested by three established in vitro methods, namely reducing power, β-carotene linoleate model and 1,1- diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging. Leaf ethanolic extracts and leaf and seed water extracts showed strong inhibitory activity by β-carotene bleaching (AA values of 90%). Furthermore, these extracts exerted hydrogen-donating ability in the presence of DDPH stable radical (IC 50 2 μg/ml). These extracts also showed strong reducing power by the potassium ferricyanide reduction method. Leaf and seed extracts may be exploited as biopreservatives in food applications as well as for health supplements or functional food, to aleviate oxidative stress.