Evaluation of garlic cultivars for polyphenolic content and antioxidant properties

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 13;8(11):e79730. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079730. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Two phenolic compound parameters (total phenolic and flavonoid contents) and 5 antioxidant parameters (DPPH [2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl] radical scavenging activity, HRSC (hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity), FRAP (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power), CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity), and MCA (metal chelating activity) were measured in bulbs and bolts of 43 garlic cultivars. The bulbs of cultivar '74-x' had the highest phenolic content (total phenolic, flavonoids) and the strongest antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC), followed by bulbs of cultivar 'Hanzhong purple'; the bulbs of cultivar 'Gailiang' had the lowest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, CUPRAC, MCA). The bolts of 'Hanzhong purple' also had higher phenolic content. Principal components analysis (PCA) separated the cultivars into 3 groups according to phenolic and flavonoid contents and strength of antioxidant activity. The first group had higher HRSC, FRAP, and flavonoid content; the second group had higher total phenolic content and MCA; some cultivars in the third group had higher HRSC and FRAP. All 8 test garlic bulb extracts successfully prevented Human Vascular Endothelial Cell death and significantly prevented reactive-oxygen species (ROS) formation in oxidative stress model, in which cultivar '74-x' had highest protection capability, following by cultivar 'Hanzhong purple', and the bulbs of cultivar 'No. 105 from Korea' had the lower protection capability against cell death and ROS formation. The protection capability in vivo of these garlic cultivars was consistent with their phenolic content and antioxidant capacity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / chemistry*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Flavonoids / chemistry
  • Garlic / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Hydroxyl Radical / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Polyphenols / chemistry*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Phenols
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polyphenols
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Hydroxyl Radical

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31071813), the National public welfare sectors (Agriculture) special research (200903018-7), Basic Scientific Research Fund from Northwest A&F University (No. QN2011088), and Yulin City Science and Technology Bureau Project. The founders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.