Antioxidant activity of selected Allium species grown in Serbia

Abstract

Species of the genus Allium are used for different purposes: as food (vegetables, spices, flavor agent in the bakery industry), medical agent in folk medicine, and as decorative perennials. Effect of onion, garlic and leek on human health have been described in many studies. The presence of compounds with potential antioxidant activity are considered responsible for their health effect. Other species of this genus have been intensively studied in recent years in order to estimate their nutritional value and healing effect. In this paper, the antioxidant activity of edible parts of two Allium species (Allium nutans and A. odorum) was determined, by DPPH. and ABTS..+ scavenging assays. The tested species were grown in Serbia, in open field conditions and were foliar treated with selenium fertilizer (Na2SeO4) in four doses (0, 10, 20 and 30 g per ha), in the phase of intensive growth. Antioxidant activity was determined spectrophotometrically, by reading the absorbances of the samples at 515 nm in the case DPPH. assay and at 734 nm in the ABTS.+ assay. The obtained results were expressed as a percentage of inhibition of DPPH radicals and ABTS radical cations caused by the action of the extract of the tested Allium species. A. nutans had the highest antioxidant activity in control variant – without Se treatment (23.77% ± 0.19) in DPPH. assay, and in variant II - 10 g of selenium fertilizer per ha (69.05 ± 6.06) in ABTS.+ assay. The highest antioxidant activity of A. odorum was detected in variant IV - 30 g of selenium fertilizer per ha (25.75 ± 0.28) in DPPH assay. In A. odorum there was no significant difference in antioxidant activity in the control variant (33.41 ± 0.38) and variant III - 20 g of selenium per ha (33.79 ± 0.46), in ABTS assay.