Anthocyanins profile and antioxidant capacity of red cabbages are influenced by genotype and vegetation period

Abstract

The profile and content of anthocyanins in five red cabbage varieties were analyzed using HPLC–DAD–MS/MS method. The antioxidant capacity of red cabbages was evaluated using five in vitro assays. Red cabbages contained twenty different anthocyanins with the main structure of cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucosides. The presence of nonacylated, monoacylated and diacylated form was identified. Nonacylated and diacylated with sinapic acid derivatives of cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucoside were predominant. The content of anthocyanins varied significantly in plants grown in two different years (P < 0.05). Moreover, the vegetation period length was demonstrated to affect the anthocyanins profile. The extract of red cabbages scavenged radicals and their antiradical potential differed significantly across the varieties (P < 0.05). In addition, red cabbage antioxidant capacity was positively and significantly correlated with anthocyanins content (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that red cabbage varieties possess own anthocyanins fingerprint and specific antioxidant capacity, which are also under the influence of vegetation period.

Keywords

• Red cabbage
• Nonacylated anthocyanins
• Acylated anthocyanins
• HPLC–DAD–MS/MS
• Antioxidant activity
• Vegetation period