Comparação do potencial antioxidante de alface em diferentes meios de cultivo

Abstract

With the change in the eating habits of the population, lettuce, vegetable most consumed in Brazil, originating from the Mediterranean and brought by the Portuguese, is a great power option, it has a low calorific value and is a source of minerals and vitamins. The lettuce consumed in Brazil today is produced in three different culture media: organic, produced in accordance with Federal Law 10,831, of December 23, 2003, conventional, is based on the intensive use of industrial inputs, heavy mechanization and genetic modification, and hydroponics, growing plants in liquid medium containing a nutrient solution added to promote development. Consumer awareness about healthier eating can be seen in the increased availability of organic vegetables in supermarkets. Antioxidants are beneficial to health, because they have the ability to react with free radicals, preventing it from reacting with the human body. Therefore, antioxidants are chemicals that inhibit or retard oxidation, preventing the formation of free radicals or interacting with these, inactivating them. The aim of this study was to compare the lettuce antioxidant potential in different culture media (organic, conventional and hydroponic). It analyzed the antioxidant potential byDPPH (Radical 1,1-difenil-2-picrilhidrazila) method where organic lettuce had the best performance, while lettuce, conventional and hydroponic had statistically similar results of antioxidant potential. It also assessed the concentration of phenolic and flavonoid content. The concentration of phenolic compound organic lettuce also obtained a better result and conventional and hydroponic lettuce had statistically similar concentrations. The flavonoid content, contrary to what was expected, the lettuce had the highest concentration of the flavonoids was hydroponic and organic lettuce had a higher concentration relative to the conventional. Thus, it was observed that in the general context of organic lettuce obtained a better oxidant than conventional hydroponic and lettuce.