Evaluación de compuestos bioactivos con actividad antioxidante presentes en las hojas de espinaca (Spinacia oleracea) provenientes de residuos de la Plaza San Jacinto ubicada en la parroquia Izamba, cantón Ambato, provincia Tungurahua

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants to alleviate and treat diseases or conditions has increased considerably in recent years, being recognized by international organizations as complementary medicine. The present study is focused on the reuse of leftover spinach as a source of obtaining bioactive compounds, which are carotenoids and total phenols considered as antioxidant agents, which present a positive benefit for health. The optimal extraction conditions were evaluated through an experimental design where postharvest time (week 1 and 2) and extraction time (30 and 60 minutes) were taken into account, where the optimal value was 20.057 percent in week 1 in a time of 60 minutes. The concentration of total carotenoids was determined by spectrophotometry whose optimal value was 137.109 micrograms per gram, in week 1 in a time of 60 minutes. On the other hand, the content of total phenols was evaluated by the Folin Ciocalteu method applying a standard curve of gallic acid (GAE) whose optimal value was 26.8307 milligrams GAE in week 2 in a time of 30 minutes. Finally, the antioxidant activity was determined using a trolox standard calibration curve where a value of 480,850 micromol of trolox per grams was obtained for week 1 in a time of 60 minutes. Therefore, the present investigation demonstrated that spinach contains bioactive compounds, that with the passage of postharvest time its antioxidant activity decreases.