Determination of antioxidants (vitamin C and lycopene) content of winter vegetables

Abstract

Vegetables are a prime source of antioxidants which play very important role for preventing different chronic diseases in our body. Therefore, an experiment was carried out to determine the antioxidants like vitamin C and lycopene content of winter vegetables. Ascorbic acid content of fresh vegetables was determined by titration method and lycopene content was determined using spectrophotometer method. The ascorbic acid content in root and fruit winter vegetables ranged from 7.13±0.907 mg/100g in beet root to 27.48±1.45 in black tomato. In the leafy vegetables, ascorbic acid content ranged from 11.40±1.664 mg/100g in cabbage to 19.71±1.429 mg/100g in sorrel. It was found that black tomato ((27.48±1.45 mg/1oog)) is very rich in ascorbic acid followed by cherry tomato (26.04±1.12 mg/100g), red tomato (21.36±0.954 mg/100g), sorrel (19.71±1.429 mg/100g), hydrocotyle (17.76±1.264 mg/100g), spinach (17.71±1.532 mg/100g) and roselle leaf (17.36±0.844 mg/100g) among the studied winter vegetables. The lycopene content in root and fruit winter vegetables ranged from 25.25±3.08 μg/100g in beet root to 6648.34±9.89 μg/100g in cherry tomato. In the leafy vegetables, lycopene content ranged from 13.45±4.04 μg/100g in hydrocotyle to 673.98±5.76 μg/100g in roselle leaf. This study has shown that cherry tomato (6648.34±9.89 μg/100g) is very rich in lycopene followed by red tomato (4107.27±8.13 μg/100g), black tomato (1365.21±4.26 μg/100g) and carrot (65.48±4.33 μg/100g). Roselle leaf (673.98±5.76 μg/100g), goat weed (551.18±6.02 μg/100g), spinach (474.19±4.63 μg/100g) were observed to have the high lycopene content among the studied leafy vegetables. Black tomato, red tomato, cherry tomato, roselle leaf and spinach were observed to have the high vitamin C and lycopene content among the studied winter vegetables. They should be regularly included in the diet for adequate supply of vitamin C and lycopene in the winter season.