Comparative assessment of free radical scavenging ability of green and red cabbage based on their antioxidant vitamins and phytochemical constituents

Background: Nowadays, bioactive moieties of plants are gaining attention amongst the masses to mitigate lifestyle related dysfunctions owing to their safe nature and functional properties. Objective: Considering phytochemistry and cost-effectiveness of cabbage, the current project was designed to probe the antioxidant capacity of locally grown green and red cabbage. Methods: The total polyphenols and free radical scavenging ability of red and green cabbage were determined using spectrophotometer while HPLC analysis was carried out to further fractionate phenolic acids and flavonoid constituents. Apart from this, antioxidant vitamins including vitamin C tocopherol and β-carotene were also detected using HPLC system. Results: The red cabbage showed higher amount of total polyphenols and flavonoids (224.37±6.96 & 219.15±10.30 mg/100g F.W.) than green cabbage (58.41±3.01 & 34.04±1.06 mg/100g F.W.) along with the existence of anthocyanins (69.86±4.12 mg/100g F.W.) in red cabbage. Comparative HPLC analysis regarding antioxidant moieties showed significant proportion of kempferol (171.10±5.99 mg/100g F.W.) followed by vitamin C (139.07±2.23 mg/100g F.W.) in red cabbage however, vitamin C (121.46±3.28 mg/100g F.W.) was found as the major antioxidant in green cabbage. The red cabbage depicted higher free radical quenching and reducing ability in contrast to green cabbage using DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS [2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)], FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and PFRAP (potassium ferricyanide reducing antioxidant power) and H2O2 scavenging ability assays. Conclusion: In the nutshell, red cabbage showed better free radical scavenging ability as compared to green cabbage based on variation and quantification of antioxidant indices.