Antioxidant contents and activities of twelve varieties of vegetable sprouts

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant contents and activities of twelve vegetable sprouts (broccoli, red radish, radish, mizuna, kale, taatsai, pak choi, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapeseed, chicory, and alfalfa). The total flavonoid contents of the broccoli, red radish, and radish sprout were 25.36±0.13, 25.26±1.80, and 25.16±1.25 mg CE/100 g FW, respectively, and were significantly higher than those of the other tested vegetables. Radish sprouts had the highest total phenolic content (112.42 mg GAE/100 g FW), followed by red radish and broccoli sprouts. The main polyphenols in the vegetable sprouts were epicatechin and chlorogenic acid, but they varied across sprout varieties. The correlation between total flavonoids and total phenolics for the 12 vegetable sprouts was very high (r=0.926). The total antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities) was also highly correlated with total flavonoids and total phenolics.