Antimutagenic, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of ethyl acetate extracts from white, yellow and red onions

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 659 - 666
• Main Authors: Shon, Mi-Yae, Choi, Sang-Do, Kahng, Goon-Gjung, Nam, Sang-Hae, Sung, Nak-Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2004; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acetates; Allium; Allium cepa; Antimutagenic activity; Antimutagenic Agents - analysis; Antimutagenic Agents - pharmacology; antimutagenicity; Antioxidant activity; antioxidants; Antioxidants - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; chemical constituents of plants; digestion; digestive juices; Digestive solutions; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flavonoids; Free Radical Scavengers - analysis; free radicals; Gastric Juice - drug effects; Gastric Juice - metabolism; General pharmacology; hydrogen peroxide; intestinal absorption; Intestinal Secretions - drug effects; Intestinal Secretions - metabolism; Medical sciences; Onion extracts; onions; Onions - chemistry; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; phenolic compounds; Phenols; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - metabolism; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; reactive oxygen species; reducing power; Salmonella typhimurium - drug effects; Salmonella typhimurium - genetics; Onion extracts; Phenols; Flavonoids; Antimutagenic activity; Antioxidant activity; Digestive solutions; Antimutagen; Onion; Extract; Antioxidant; Radical scavenger; Biological activity; Plant origin; Food
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2003.12.002

The beneficial effects of red, yellow and white onion extracts have been assessed by antioxidant activity and antimutagenic activity. And the effects compared to BHT and ascorbic acid. Total phenolic compounds and flavonoids in onion extracts were determined. Yellow onion extract had more organic acid and free sugar than those detected in the white and red onion extract. The scavenging activity of DPPH radical and H 2O 2 were increased depending on the concentration. The antioxidant activities using β-carotene-linoleate system and reducing power were increased but the effect was small to that of BHT and ascorbic acid. After digested, extracts showed antimutagenic activities, and it seems that they inhibit the mutagenicity for digesting. This study demonstrated that the antimutagenicities and antioxidant properties of ethyl acetate extract against mutagens were related to their phenols and flavonoids, which are heat stable and losses digestive juices are relatively low.