Natural Antioxidants, Free-radical-scavengers and Minerals, in Fresh Juices and Vegetables

Fresh juices of indigenous plants and vegetables are rich in compounds having antioxidant-free radical scavenging activities and in minerals. For that reason they can be used in the production of the natural food supplements which are able to prevent and even cure actual and grave illnesses like: cardio-vascular, geriatric, hepato-gastro-intestinal inflammatory diseases, diabetes and cancer. This work presents a comparative study concerning the composition and antioxidant-free radical scavenging activities for fresh juices of fruits and vegetables like: seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) fruits, echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia) roots, aloe (Aloe arborescens) leaves, amaranth (Amaranthus caudathus) leaves, carrot (Daucus carrota) roots, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits, and barley (Hordeum vulgare) green grass. Using actual techniques: UV-VIS - spectrophotometry, HPLC chromatography, absorption and emission atomic spectrometry (AEAS), the juices were characterized by the presence of antioxidant compounds, the content in minerals and antioxidant free scavenging activity. A large variety of antioxidants were identified as follows: polyphenols and polyphenolcarboxylic acids, flavones and flavonederivatives in seabuckthorn, barley, echinacea, and amaranth, carotene derivatives in carrots and seabuckthorn, aloin and barbaloin in aloe juices. All juices emphasized rich contents in minerals and in redox-enzyme like superoxiddismuthase and antioxidant-free radical scavenging activities.