New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts
Short communication
Antioxidant activities of extracts from
traditional Maori food plants
Kevin S. Gould*
Kate Thodey†
School of Biological Sciences
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland, New Zealand
*Present address: Department of Botany,
University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
kevin.gould@botany.otago.ac.nz
† Present address:
HortResearch, Private Bag 92169, Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand.
Martin Philpott
Lynnette R. Ferguson
Department of Nutrition
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract New Zealand plants reportedly used as
food by the early Maori may have been rich in low molecular weight
antioxidants. To test this possibility, methanol-soluble extracts from
17 indigenous and introduced plant species were challenged with the
1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl free radical, and scavenging efficiencies
compared with that of blueberry. Antioxidant activities varied more
than 150-fold on a dry weight basis, and eight species were
considerably more effective than blueberry. In contrast, crops that
were used as sources of dietary starch, such as Cordyline australis
and Solanum tuberosum ‘Urenika’, had relatively low
antioxidant activities, both raw and after boiling. Antioxidant
activity did not correlate to anthocyanin content. Our data indicate a
remarkable potential of some New Zealand species as sources of dietary
antioxidants.
Keywords antioxidants; flavonoids; New Zealand
plants; functional foods; Maori diet
B05014; Received 18 April 2005; accepted 9 November 2005; Online
publication date 23 February 2006
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2006, Vol. 44: 1–4
0028–825X/06/4401–0001 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
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