Author : Aline Alves Migliorini … [et al.].

Source : Journal of Food Science. 84(5)2019:990-1001

Abstract : Red chicory leaves are appreciated sensorially and their constituents contain bioactive properties. The objectives of this study were as follows: to use an experimental design to extract anthocyanins from red chicory in aqueous solution at pH 2.5; to determine the stability of the extracts in relation to temperature and pH; and to evaluate the antioxidant activity and in vitro cytotoxic effect of the lyophilized and purified extracts. The best extraction conditions for the bioactive compounds from red chicory were a temperature of 64.2 °C for 25 min; the anthocyanin content was 73.53 ± 0.13 mg per 100 g fresh weight basis sample. The EC50 (Half maximal effective concentration) value for the antioxidant activity assay in relation to DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) with optimized extract was 0.363, which corresponds to a concentration of 39.171 µmol/L of anthocyanins. The activation energy for the degradation reaction of the anthocyanins from the red chicory extract was 84.88 kJ/mol. The optimized extract, which was rich in anthocyanins, showed chemical and biological antioxidant activity (protection against erythrocyte hemolysis) and inhibited lipid peroxidation in vitro. The Cichorium intybus L. extracts interfered on the levels of reactive oxygen species generation and the crude extract did not present procarcinogenic effect.

Subject : Cichorium intybus L. Free radicals. Functional foods. Thermal stability. Red chicory.