Vegetables are the most important sources of phenolics in the Mediterranean diet. Phenolics, especially flavonoids, are suggested as being essential bioactive compounds providing health benefits. In this study, twenty-seven vegetables, fifteen aromatic herbs and some spices consumed in Central Italy (the Marches region) were studied to reveal total phenolic, flavonoid and flavanol content as well as their antioxidant capacity measured by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. A comparison in terms of antioxidant capacity was made between different salads, as well as between salads to which aromatic herbs had been added. Lemon balm and marjoram at a concentration of 1·5 % w/w increased by 150 % and 200 % respectively the antioxidant capacity of a salad portion. A 200 g portion of a salad enriched with marjoram corresponded to an intake of 200 (SD 10) mg phenolics and 4000 (SD 300) ORAC units (mmol Trolox equivalents). Olive oils and wine or apple vinegars were the salad dressings that provided the highest increase in antioxidant capacity. Among the spices tested, cumin and fresh ginger made the most significant contribution to the antioxidant capacity. The results are useful in surveying the antioxidant parameters of vegetables, herbs and spices produced and consumed in our geographical area as well as in quantifying the daily intake of phenolics and ORAC units. The results can be used in public health campaigns to stimulate the consumption of vegetables able to provide significant health protection in order to prevent chronic diseases.

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The phenolic and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values have been measured in six fresh and frozen vegetables (beet green, spinach, broccoli, carrot, onion, and celery) from the same cultivar by analyzing the whole juice (WJ) and the acetonic extract of the squeezed pulp. To exploit the effect of the acid environment on the stability and recovery of the phenolics, perchloric acid (PCA) was added directly to WJ and to the pulp before the extraction with acetone. In both fresh and frozen vegetables, PCA markedly increased the recovery of phenolics extracted from the pulp, but PCA had no effect on the WJ. Four of six frozen vegetables showed lower phenolic and ORAC values than the fresh vegetables, whereas in the other two cases, values were significantly higher compared to fresh samples. Among the fresh vegetables, beet green showed the highest ORAC and phenolic values; however, when measured in two different cultivars of beet green, the ORAC value showed as much as 4.5-fold variation, whereas total phenolics and flavonoids showed 1.2- and 3.5-fold variations, respectively. The results show that total phenolics and ORAC, compared in fresh and frozen vegetables, represent an index of the mildness of blanching in the industry of frozen vegetables and provide a measure of the gap in antioxidants in the diet of people who consume frozen instead of fresh vegetables. The plant genotype is an important source of variability in the ORAC value, which can be conveniently used to increase the intake of antioxidants from vegetables.

This review summarizes the latest advancements in phytochemicals as functional antiviral agents. We focused on flavonoids, like apigenin, vitexin, quercetin, rutin and naringenin, which have shown a wide range of biological effects including antiviral activities. The molecular mechanisms of their antiviral effects mainly consist in the inhibition of viral neuraminidase, proteases and DNA/RNA polymerases, as well as in the modification of various viral proteins. Mixtures of different flavonoids or combination of flavonoids with antiviral synthetic drugs provide an enhancement of their antiviral effects. Recent strategies in drug delivery significantly contribute to overcoming the low bioavailability of flavonoids. Frequent viral infections worldwide have led to the need for new effective antiviral agents, which can be identified among the various phytochemicals. In this light, screening the antiviral activities of a cocktail of flavonoids would be advantageous in order to prevent viral infections and improve current antiviral therapies.

In this study, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of vegetable oils was investigated using a spectrofluorometric method, which measures the protection of the phenolic substances of the oil on the β-phycoerythrin fluorescence decay in comparison with Trolox. More than 97% of the phenolic substances was extracted from the oil using methanol, and the methanolic extract was then used for the ORAC and the total phenolics assay. We found a significant correlation between ORAC values of different olive oils and the total amount of phenolics. For extra-virgin olive oils, maximal ORAC values reached 6.20 ± 0.31 µmol Trolox equivalent/g, while refined and seed oils showed values in the 1-1.5 µmol Trolox equivalent/g range. Our method is useful to assess the quality of olive oils and to predict, in combination with the rancidity tests, their stability against oxidation.