Comparative in vitro antioxidant activity, morphological and phytochemical profiling of traditional crops from Kumaun Himalaya

Department of Botany, Department of Chemistry,

D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263 001 Uttarakhand, India

E-mail : geeta_k@rediffmail.com Fax : 91-5942-235576

G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal,

Almora-263 643, Uttarakhand, India

Manuscript received online 17 October 2014, accepted 06 October 2016

The phytochemical attributes including proteins, carbohydrates and phenolic content of paddy landraces, millets, pulses, spice and oil yielding crop have been investigated along with the morphological properties of nineteen paddy landraces. In vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by ABTS, DPPH radical scavenging method and FRAP assay. The morphological characters varied significantly. Hordeum vulgare, Panicum glaucum, Setaria italic and Panicum miliaceum were having much higher protein and carbohydrate contents as compared to most of the studied landraces of paddy. ABTS activity ranged between 0.24 and 354.06 mM/100 AAE while DPPH from 9.00 to 107.90 mM/100 AAE. FRAP assay ranged between 0.016 to 383.20 mM/100 AAE. Badpas rice had the highest ABTS (354.06), DPPH (107.90) and FRAP (383.20) activity. Among millets, Hordeum vulgare had the highest antioxidant activity whereas lowest activity was observed for Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italic. Antioxidant activity of paddy landraces, pulses and oil yielding crop were positively and significantly correlated to the total phenolic content.