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Phenolic acid content and composition have been determined in 26 wheat genotypes grown in Hungary over three consecutive years and at three additional locations (France, United Kingdom, and Poland) during the third year. Fractions comprising free, soluble conjugated, and bound phenolic acids were analyzed using HPLC with measurements being made for individual phenolic acids in each fraction. Statistically significant differences in phenolic acid content occurred across the different growing locations with the average total phenolic acid content being highest in the genotypes grown in Hungary. The growth year in Hungary also had a large impact, especially on the free and conjugated phenolic acid contents. Certain genotypes were more resistant to environmental impacts than others. Of the genotypes with high levels of total phenolic acids, Lynx, Riband, Tommi, and Cadenza were most stable with respect to their total contents, whereas Valoris, Herzog, and Malacca, also high in phenolic acid content, were least stable. Of the three fractions analyzed, the free and conjugated phenolic acids were most variable and were also susceptible to the effect of environment, whereas bound phenolic acids, which comprised the greatest proportion of the total phenolic acids, were the most stable.

Chickpea seeds ( Cicer arietinum cv. Blanco lechoso ) were submitted to different bioprocesses; i) germination of seeds for 2 and 3 days, ii) natural fermentation of flour or cracked seeds, and iii) induced fermentation of flour or cracked seeds with Lactobacillus plantarum , in order to improve the antioxidant properties. Determination of vitamins C and E, reduced glutathione (GSH) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were carried out. Antioxidant capacity was measured by SOD-like activity, peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), lipid peroxidation inhibition (LPI) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Vitamin C and E increased after germination, whilst fermentation caused a decrease in vitamin E. Both bioprocesses caused an increment in TPC content while GSH decreased. Germination increased SOD-like activity (47–41%), PRTC (16–55%) and TEAC (12–23%) and a slight inhibition of LPI was observed. After fermentation, SOD-like activity suffer a drastic reduction. The LPI decreased between 11.3 and 21.3%, while an increase of TEAC (29–57%) and PRTC (27–44%) was observed, except in flour natural fermented seeds where decreased the PRTC. TPC contributed highly to total antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Results indicated that with the bioprocesses studied the antioxidant properties of chickpea flours are enhanced and they can be used as desired ingredients for new functional food formulations.

The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant capacity and the content of antioxidant compounds in raw mung bean seeds and sprouts (Vigna radiata cv. emmerald) germinated for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 days and of soybean seeds of Glycine max cv. jutro germinated for 2, 3 and 4 days and of Glycine max cv. merit germinated for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 days. Antioxidant compounds, such as vitamin C and E, total phenolic compounds and reduced glutathione (GSH) were studied. Antioxidant capacity was measured by superoxide dismutase-like activity (SOD-like activity), peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in unilamellar liposomes of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC). The results indicated that changes in the contents of vitamin C, vitamin E and GSH depended on the type of legume and germination conditions. Sprouts of mung bean and soybeans provided more total phenolic compounds than did raw seeds. The SOD-like activity increased after germination of mung bean seeds for 7 days, by 308%, while no change was observed in sprouts of Glycine max cv. jutro and an increase was observed after 5 and 6 days of germination ( 20%) in Glycine max cv. merit. PRTC and TEAC increased during the germination process and retentions of 28–70% and 11–14%, respectively, for soybean, and 248% and 61%, respectively, for mung bean were observed at the end of germination. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation increased by 389% in 5–7 days’ germination of Vigna radiata cv. emmerald sprouts, and 66% in Glycine max cv. merit sprouts whilst, in Glycine max cv. jutro, germination did not cause changes in lipid peroxidation inhibition. According to the results obtained in this study, germination of mung bean and soybean seeds is a good process for obtaining functional flours with greater antioxidant capacity and more antioxidant compounds than the raw legumes., The authors are indebted to the Spanish Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CICYT) for the financial support of projects AGL2002-02905/ALI and AGL2004-0886/ALI. This article is a part of the Ph.D. project of R. Fernandez-Orozco.

To study the effect of fermentation on the antioxidant compounds and antioxidant capacity of Lupinus angustifolious cv. zapaton, two different types of fermentation processes were performed. Solid-state fermentations in cracked seeds carried out by Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis and liquid state fermentations in flour and cracked seeds carried out by the microbial population present in the seed (natural fermentation) or by L. plantarum inocula. Antioxidant compounds that were quantified included vitamin C by micellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis, vitamin E isomers by high performance liquid chromatography, total phenolic compounds (TPC) by spectrophotometry and reduced glutathione (GSH) by spectrofluorimetry. The antioxidant capacity was analysed by determining the superoxide dismutase-like activity (SOD-like activity), Peroxyl Radical-Trapping Capacity (PRTC) and Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and by in vitro methods using unilamellar liposomes of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC). In general, fermentation process produced a reduction in vitamin C, vitamin E activity, GSH and SOD-like activity, however TPC, PRTC, TEAC and inhibition of PC peroxidation increased under most of the fermentation conditions. Optimal results to obtain functional lupin products were achieved in cracked seeds fermented with B. subtilis where increases in TPC content, PRTC, inhibition of PC peroxidation and TEAC content of 490, 669, 492 and 224%, respectively, were found. Also, fermentation carried out with L. plantarum in lupin flours and naturally in cracked seeds caused smaller, although significant (P ≤ 0.05) increases in TPC, PRTC, inhibition of PC and TEAC (80–148, 50–90, 23 and 45–65%, respectively).

Antioxidant capacity, measured by glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase-like activity (SOD-like activity), peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in unilamellar liposomes of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC) has been evaluated in raw and germinated lupin seeds (Lupinus angustifolius L. var. Zapaton) for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 days. The content of antioxidant vitamins E and C has been also studied. The tripeptide GSH kept invariable for the first 5 days of germination and suffered a decrease of 20 and 78% after 6 and 9 days, respectively. During lupin germination, SOD-like activity increased slightly whilst PRTC doubled the amount after 9 days. TEAC values changed slightly up to 5 days of germination but after 6 and 9 days a significant increase (25 and 28%, respectively) was found. The oxidation of PC was inhibited by germinated lupin extracts and 9-day germination seeds provided the highest inhibition. Furthermore, germinated lupins provided more vitamin C, vitamin E activity and polyphenols than raw seeds, and the largest amounts of these bioactive compounds were found after 6 days of germination. Therefore, germination of lupin seeds (Lupinus angustifolius L. var. Zapaton) seems to be a good process to enhance their antioxidant capacity., Spanish Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CICYT) for the financial support of projects AGL2002-02905/ALI and AGL2004- 0886/ALI.

The carotenoid profile of sixty potato cultivars (commercial, bred, old and native cultivars) has been characterised in order to provide information to be used in selective breeding programs directed to improve the nutritional value of this important staple food. Cultivars were segregated into three groups according to the major pigment in the carotenoid profile: violaxanthin (37 cultivars; especially those with higher carotenoid content), lutein (16 cultivars), and neoxanthin (7 cultivars). Other minor carotenoids were antheraxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene, while zeaxanthin was absent in all sample. The total carotenoid content ranged from 50.0 to 1552.0 μg/100 g dry wt, with an average value of about 435.3 μg/100 g dry wt. Sipancachi, Poluya and Chaucha native cultivars showed the highest carotenoid content (1020.0, 1478.2 and 1551.2 μg/100 g dry wt, respectively). Xanthophyll esters were present in most cultivars, mainly as diesterified forms, being observed a direct correlation between the carotenoid content and the esterified fraction, suggesting that the esterification process facilitates the accumulation of these lipophilic compounds within the plastids. Therefore, the presence of xanthophyll esters should be a phenotypic character to be included in the breeding studies, and more efforts should be dedicated to the understanding of the biochemical process leading to this structural modification of carotenoids in plants.

This work studies the antioxidant capacity of chloroplastic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) and phenolic compounds during the growth and ripening of olive fruits Olea europaea L. cv. Arbequina, grown under organic and conventional methods. Chloroplastic pigments are lipophilic compounds, while polyphenols are hydrophilic. The antioxidant capacity of lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions was measured by scavenging of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH). The lipophilic fraction comprised an acetone solution (containing chlorophylls and xanthophylls) and a hexane solution (including β-carotene), while the hydrophilic fraction corresponded to a methanol solution (containing total phenolic compounds). During the development and ripening phases of fruits, both chloroplastic pigments and total phenolic compounds followed a parallel pattern. Both fractions presented the highest antioxidant capacity during the first weeks of the fruit growing, coinciding with the highest chloroplastic pigments and total phenolic compounds contents. There was a high correlation between the antioxidant capacity of the hydrophilic fraction and total phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity of the acetone extract was also positively correlated with the total chlorophyll and xanthophyll content, while lower correlation between the β-carotene content and the antioxidant capacity of the hexane extract was found. All the parameters studied in organic and conventional fruits followed similar evolution patterns, with slight differences. © 2011 Elsevier Inc., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spanish Government, AGL 2007-66139-C02-01).

The effects of genotype and environment on the content of bioactive components in rye were determined with four varieties being grown on one site for three years and on three additional sites in the third year and a fourth variety being included in all trials except year 1. Clear differences were observed in the extent to which the contents of dietary fiber components (arabinoxylan, beta-glucan, total dietary fiber) and phytochemicals (folates, alkylresorcinols, sterols, tocols, phenolic acids) varied between varieties and between the same varieties grown in different sites (United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Poland) and years (2005-2007 in Hungary), with sterols being the most stable and phenolic acids the least. However, no single variety could be selected as having the highest overall level of bioactive components or as being more stable in comparison across environments.

Analysis of the contents of bioactive components (tocols, sterols, alkylresorcinols, folates, phenolic acids, and fiber components) in 26 wheat cultivars grown in six site × year combinations showed that the extent of variation due to variety and environment differed significantly between components. The total contents of tocols, sterols, and arabinoxylan fiber were highly heritable and hence an appropriate target for plant breeding. However, significant correlations between the contents of bioactive components and environmental factors (precipitation and temperature) during grain development also occurred, with even highly heritable components differing in amount between grain samples grown in different years on different sites.

The effect of fermentation on the ntioxidant compounds [vitamins C and E, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and reduced glutathione (GSH)], and antioxidant capacity [superoxide anion scavenging activity (SOD-like activity), peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), inhibition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) peroxidation, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)] of soybean (Glycine max cv. Merit) was studied. Fermentation was carried out in solid state in cracked seeds inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oryzae, Bacillus subtilis, and Lactobacillus plantarum and in liquid state either in cracked seeds or milled soybean flours fermented naturally by only the microorganisms present in the seeds or by inoculation with L. plantarum. Vitamin C was not detected in the studied samples. Fermentation caused a decrease in vitamin E activity, except when cracked seed was fermented with A. oryzae, R. oryzae, or B. subtilis that increased 31, 30, and 89%, respectively. Fermentation produced an increase in TPC content and did not affect or reduce the GSH content. Fermentation decreased SOD-like activity drastically, while PRTC increased except when it was carried out naturally in cracked seed. TEAC values rose sharply when soybeans were fermented with B. subtilis. Processed soybean extracts inhibited PC peroxidation in comparison with the control assay. On the basis of the results obtained, the relative contributions of vitamin E, TPC, and GSH to antioxidant capacity were calculated and results showed a very high TPC contribution and a low contribution of GSH and vitamin E activity. Optimum results for functional soybean flours were achieved when fermentation was carried out with B. subtilis inoculum

In this study four cultivars of lentil originating from Spain were examined: cv Paula, cv Agueda, cv Almar and cv Alcor. Since consumption of these seeds after heat treatment and as sprouts has been popularised, the impact of cooking (up to 30 min) and germination process (in dark, at 25 degrees C, for up to 4 days) on peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC) and Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of the processed seeds was addressed. Also, changes in the content of low-molecular-weight antioxidants (LMWA) and soluble proteins in the course of cooking and germination were studied. The analyzed LMWAwere: total phenolics, tocopherols (alpha-T, beta-T, gamma-T, delta-T), reduced glutathione, and L-ascorbic acid. On the basis of the results obtained, the contribution of LMWA and soluble proteins to the PRTC and TEAC of raw, cooked, and germinated lentil seeds was calculated by multiple mean values for the content of investigated compounds and their relative potential with respect to Trolox. The results showed avery high molar percentage contribution of phenolic compounds and low contribution of tocopherols, glutathione, soluble proteins, and ascorbate (only in germinated seeds) to the total TEAC and total PRTC calculated as a sum of data provided for phosphate-buffered and 80% methanolic extracts of raw and processed lentil seeds.