Comparative Examination of Phytonutrients and Antioxidant Activity of Commonly Consumed Nuts and Seeds Grown in Vietnam

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the phenolics, carotenoids, B-vitamins, and antioxidant activity of nuts and seeds grown in Vietnam. The concentrations of carotenoids and B-vitamins may vary among the nuts and seeds. Watermelon seed contained the highest level of lutein while pumpkin seed was the β-carotene richest sample. Sachi inchi and sunflower seed comprised considerable levels of vitamin B1, B6, and B9. The phenolic analysis revealed that cashew contained the highest total amount of flavonoids (466.04 μg/g), with catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2 predominating over the other flavonoids. Likewise, chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids made up the highest total amount of phenolic acids in sunflower seed (1870.41 μg/g). Walnut appeared to possess the highest antioxidant activity evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and reducing power assays. The correlation analysis indicated strong positive correlations between total phenolic content with DPPH and FRAP values. Principal component analysis graphically showed the distant positioning of cashew and sunflower seed, highlighting their significantly higher levels of phenolics. The findings of the study would be useful to improve nutrient database contents for flavonoids and phenolic acids as well as to promote the consumption of nut and seed products in Vietnam.

Characterization and Evaluation of the In Vitro Antioxidant, α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Camellia longii Orel and Luu. (Theaceae) Flower Essential Oil and Extracts From Vietnam

“…These results were consistent with previous studies, which showed phenolic and flavonoid compounds were mainly responsible for the scavenging effects against free radicals. 9,10…”

“…These results were consistent with previous studies, which showed phenolic and flavonoid compounds were mainly responsible for the scavenging effects against free radicals. 9,10 For metal ion reduction, ferric and cupric ions were tested, which compared the ability of extracts to donate electrons at different pHs. The results showed that ethyl acetate, butanol, and ethanol extracts effectively reduced cupric and ferric solutions, and the reducing powers of these extracts are in line with their concentration.…”

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from the Fresh and Dried Seeds of Lanxangia tsao-ko grown in Nghe An, Vietnam

“…The TPC was determined using the published method. 20 Briefly, 0.1 mL of samples or standard (gallic acid solution from 0 -100 µg/mL) was mixed with 0.5 mL of 10-fold diluted, 0.4 mL of 10% Na2CO3 solutions, and 1.5 mL of deionized water. The mixture was incubated for 2h and measured spectrophotometrically at 760 nm.…”

“…The scavenging activity of EOs against free radicals was determined using a DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and vitamin C as a positive control. 20 The samples with concentrations ranging from 0 -100 mg/mL or standards (0.1 mL) were mixed with 0.1 mL of 0.3 mM DPPH solution. The mixtures were incubated in dark for 30 min and measured absorbance at 517 nm.…”

“…Helder (Lamiaceae) were 3.24 mg/mL and 15.38 mg/mL, respectively. 27,28 As TPC was reported to be the main component prescribed for antioxidant activities, 20,29 the small percentage of TPC (Table 2) in the two EOs could be one of the reasons for the low antioxidant activities tested. It should be noted that the EOs extracted from the dried seeds were more active than the fresh ones.…”