ANTIOXIDANT PHYTOCHEMICALS IN SAVOY CABBAGE (BRASSICA OLERACEA L. VAR. SABAUDA L.)

Brassicaceae is a wide botanical family with a great number of edible members. These vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value providing high amounts of vitamin C, soluble fiber, minerals and antioxidants, and nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Some of the most common brassicas include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, swedes, and turnips, while broccoli raab, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, and bok choi are less familiar. Cabbages are one of the oldest of the Brassica vegetables in Europe and they are classified as either green or red, although colour ranges from nearly white to reddish-purple. Savoy cabbage is an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, therefore the aim of this work was to evaluate the content of these compounds, such as vitamin C, β-carotene, lutein and total phenol content, in this Brassica vegetable. Savoy cabbages were grown at the experimental fields located in Finca La Orden-Valdesequera in Extremadura (Spain) during the 2008-2009 season. They were harvested the first week of February 2009 and the heads were rapidly transported to the laboratory facilities for their analysis. The contents of the main phytochemical compounds measured in Savoy cabbage were 49.06 mg/100 g fresh weight of vitamin C, 0.37 mg/100 g fresh weigh of β-carotene and 0.18 mg/100 g fresh weight of lutein. Finally, the total phenolic compounds measured as equivalent of chlorogenic acid was 102.71 mg/100 g fresh weight.