October 30, 2007 – Whether on the counter or in the fridge, the antioxidant power of fruits and vegetables is well preserved.
This is what the results of a study indicate1 recently carried out by Belgian researchers who bought a wide variety of fresh products from a wholesaler in the Liège region. They then checked the evolution of their content of antioxidant compounds during their storage under conditions similar to those found at home.
According to the results, fruits and vegetables retain their antioxidant power very well during storage, even if their appearance casts doubt on their absolute freshness. The content of some fruits and vegetables in antioxidant compounds even increased during this period, report the authors of the study.
Researchers focused their attention on their content of various known antioxidant compounds: phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids and flavonols, anthocyanins, etc. They also measured, throughout their storage, their overall antioxidant activity by using the two most common methods to evaluate this biochemical activity (DPPH and ORAC).
In general, the phenolic compounds in fruits and vegetables have remained stable during storage. But there were a few exceptions. From day one, the phenolic compounds in asparagus and leek increased and remained stable thereafter. Conversely, those of bananas have declined rapidly.
Antioxidants are of increasing interest to researchers because of the protective action attributed to them, especially in cancer prevention.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to ScienceDaily.
1. Kevers C, Falkowski M, Tabart J, Defraigne JO, Dommes J, Pincemail J. Evolution of Antioxidant Capacity during Storage of Selected Fruits and Vegetables. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Oct 17; 55 (21): 8596-603. Epub 2007 Sep 20.
