Antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents of 56 vegetables

The antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents of lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts of 56 commonly consumed vegetables were studied. The resulted showed that antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents in the lipophilic fraction were higher than those in hydrophilic fraction. The different vegetables had diverse antioxidant capacities. The highest antioxidant capacities and phenolic contents were found in Chinese toon bud, loosestrife, perilla leaf, cowpea, caraway, lotus root, sweet potato leaf, soy bean (green), pepper leaf, ginseng leaf, chives, and broccoli, while the values were very low in marrow squash and eggplant (purple). Furthermore, several phenolic compounds were detected, and chlorogenic acid, gallic acid and galangin were widely found in these vegetables. The results provide support for dietary guidelines as well as epidemiological research.