Effect of Starter Cultures on the Antioxidant Activities of Allium hookeri Root-Hot Water Extract

Allium hookeri, a member of the onion family, has long been mainly cultivated for food and medicinal use in Southeast Asian countries, owing to its various biological properties. However, no studies of the anti-oxidative effects of fermented A. hookeri root extracts have been conducted to date. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of different starter cultures on the antioxidant activities of hot water extract of A. hookeri root by using the following five strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterum longum, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, total phenolic acid contents, and total antioxidant capacity were higher in the hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures than those of A. hookeri root. Among hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures, fementing with S. cerevisiae showed the highest antioxidant activities. The results of this study provide new evidence of the anti-oxidative properties of A. hookeri root with starter cultures, indicating that it may be highly valuable as a natural product owing to its high-quality functional components.