RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF RED BEET JUICE AND CONTENTS OF ITS BETALAIN PIGMENTS

Abstract

Juices extracted from red beet roots were analysed in the study. They were produced from 7 different batches of cv. Czerwona Kula from the harvest of 2002 and 11 different cultivars cultivated under identical conditions in 2005. Contents of red and yellow pigments as well as antioxidant capacity were determined in juices. A very wide variation was observed in antioxidant capacity (10.2–21.7 µmol Trolox/mL) and contents of red pigments (0.57– –1.63 mg/mL) and yellow pigments (0.31–0.95 mg/mL). In comparison to other vegetables, the antioxidant capacity of beets was very high. A highly significant correlation was demonstrated between antioxidant capacity and contents of red pigments, whereas a remarkably less tangible relationship was found between antioxidant capacity and contents of yellow pigments. This indicates that primarily red betanin is responsible for the antioxidant capacity of red beets.