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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #230799
Title: Flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of spinach genotypes determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Author
item CHO, MI - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item HOWARD, LUKE - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item Prior, Ronald
item MORELOCK, TEDDY - UNIV OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2007
Publication Date: 4/30/2008
Citation: Cho, M.J., Howard, L.R., Prior, R.L., Morelock, T. 2008. Flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of spinach genotypes determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 88(6):1099-1106.

Interpretive Summary: Genetics is known to be a factor in determining the levels of various nutrients and other components in foods. In this study, flavonoids, many of which are antioxidants, in different spinach genotypes were separated, identified, and quantified by a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection. The antioxidant capacities of the genotypes were also measured using two antioxidant assays - oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL) and photochemiluminescence (PCL) - which measure the antioxidant response to the peroxyl and superoxide anion radicals, respectively. Eighteen flavonoids were identified. The total flavonoid concentrations ranged from 1805 to 3703 mg per kg, indicating 2.0-fold variation among genotypes. Antioxidant capacity values varied by as much as 1.7-fold among genotypes and were highly correlated with total flavonoid content. Data from this study provides information needed to select varieties of spinach that have increased antioxidant capacity that may have added heath benefits when included in the diet.

Technical Abstract: Flavonoids in different spinach genotypes were separated, identified, and quantified by a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection. The antioxidant capacities of the genotypes were also measured using two antioxidant assays - oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL) and photochemiluminescence (PCL) - which measure the response to the peroxyl and superoxide anion radicals, respectively. Eighteen flavonoids representing glucuronides and acylated di- and triglycosides of methylated and methylene dioxide derivatives of 6-oxygenated flavonols were identified (patuletin, spinacetin, spinatoside, jaceidin). The total flavonoids ranged from 1805 to 3703 mg kg-1, indicating 2.0-fold variation among genotypes. The ORACFL and PCL values ranged from 48.7 to 84.4 mmol kg-1 and from 9.0 to 14.0 mmol kg-1, respectively, representing as much as 1.7-fold variation among genotypes. The ORACFL and PCL values were highly correlated with total flavonoid content (rxy = 0.96).