1. Phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity in four Italian traditional maize (Zea mays L.) varieties.
- Author
-
Capocchi, Antonella, Bottega, Stefania, Spanò, Carmelina, and Fontanini, Debora
- Subjects
- *
PHYTOCHEMICALS , *ANTIOXIDANTS , *CORN varieties , *PHENOLS , *FLAVONOIDS , *CAROTENOIDS , *CORN , *FOOD chemistry , *VITAMIN C , *GENOTYPES - Abstract
Flours of four pigmented (from orange to red and dark red) local Italian corns, studied for their soluble, soluble conjugate, and insoluble-bound phenols and flavonoids, showed a prevalence of the insoluble-bound fraction (70–80%). Correlations were found between the flours antioxidant capacity, measured with CUPRAC, FRAP, and DPPH methods, and soluble phenols and flavonoids content. A correlation was also found between ascorbic acid content and flours antioxidant power. Anthocyanins were present in small amounts in the red/dark red seeds; however, acid-alcohol assays and spectral analyses of pericarp extracts indicated the presence of red-brick phlobaphenes in these varieties. Spectrophotometrically quantified total carotenoids were significantly higher in one of the local varieties (Nano); RP-HPLC analyses indicated that the local varieties contained significantly higher amounts of zeaxanthin and β-carotene, and lower amounts of lutein, than a commercial line. Among local varieties, Nano expressed the highest levels of zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF