<b>The influence of planting and harvesting times on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of <i>Talinum triangulare</i> (Jacq.) Willd

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of planting and harvesting times on the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of Talinum triangulare cultivated during two different seasons (winter or summer) and harvested 30 or 60 days after seedling establishment. Polyphenol content was quantified with the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was quantified with free-radical DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhidrazina). The highest levels of polyphenols were obtained from winter planting and from harvesting at 30 days. Antioxidant activity differed significantly in response to variation in planting and harvesting times, reaching 56.97% in extracts of plants produced in the winter and harvested at 30 days after planting. The times of planting and harvesting markedly influenced the content of polyphenols, and thus the antioxidant activity, of T. triangulare.