Antioxidant Properties of a Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Juice Rich in Polyphenols and Nitrites

Camelia Papuc¹, Corina Predescu^1*, Valentin Nicorescu¹, Georgeta Stefan² and Isabela Nicorescu³

¹Department of Preclinical Sciences, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania, 011464
²Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania, 011464
³Microbiologist, Department of Food Microbiology, Institute of Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Bucharest, Romania, 021201

Corresponding Author Email: durduncorina@yahoo.com

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is an herbaceous vegetable used as foodstuff, spice and medicinal plant because it provides antioxidants especially flavonoids (apigenin), vitamins (K, C and A), and volatile oils, among other compounds. Because parsley has important concentrations of nitrates and flavonoids, very little vegetal pigment and a mild flavour profile, it was chosen for this study. The aim of this study was to obtain parsley juice rich in nitrite and polyphenols and to assess its antioxidant activity. To obtain nitrite from nitrate by enzymatic reaction, Staphylococcus xylosus ATCC 29971 was used as nitrate reductase source. To obtain the vegetable juice, fresh roots were minced and homogenized in aqueous solution. The sterile juice was filtered and then inoculated with S. xylosus and incubated at 37°C. The nitrate and nitrite concentrations (mg/L) were determined using a colorimetric method using salicylic acid and Griess reagent, respectively. The total polyphenols content (TPC) was measured with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and expressed as mg gallic acid equivalent / 100 mL (mg GAE / 100 mL). The total flavonoids content (TFC) was measured with aluminium chloride reagent, and expressed as mg catechin equivalent / 100 mL (mg CE / 100 mL). To determine the antioxidant activity of parsley juice, the ability to reduce DPPH synthetic radical, reducing power of Fe³⁺ ion and the capacity of chelating transition metal ions were assessed. Maximum concentration of nitrites was achieved for parsley juice in the presence of S. xylosus after 24 hours; TPC was 14.87 mg GAE / 100 mL and TFC was 11.21 mg CE / 100 mL. The ability of parsley fermented juice to reduce DPPH synthetic radical was 79.45%, while the capacity to reduce Fe³⁺ was 0.758 ± 0.14 (absorbance at 700 nm) and to chelate Fe²⁺ ion was 23.64%. Parsley juice represents an important source of natural nitrate and flavonoids, with important antioxidant capacity.

parsley (Petroselinum crispum); vegetable juice; antioxidants; natural nitrate

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