Abstract

Green leafy vegetables (GLVs) symbolize a class of low cost, neglected plants that are known to be wealthy spring of natural antioxidants. In the present study, the phytochemical and radical scavenging activities of both stem and leaf fractions of 20 commonly consumed GLVs of tropical India were evaluated using different systems of assays like total antioxidant assay, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl and superoxide radical-scavenging activity. The results showed that all the vegetable extracts were found to have variable levels of antioxidant properties in different assay systems. Furthermore most of the GLVs are good sources of phytochemicals like flavonoids and phenolics that are excellent free radical scavengers. The results of this study will be very useful for health conscious consumers and also for current generation especially those neglecting the leafy vegetables. This study will be a prelude for future exploration of these green leafy vegetables as potential functional foods. However, still, detailed studies are needed to reveal the role of individual bioactive components that influence the antioxidant properties of these vegetables.

Key words: Antioxidants, flavonoids, leafy vegetables, phenolics, radical scavenging activity.