Biochemical variation of ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid oxidase,total phenol and polyphenol oxidase in different vegetables

The study was carried out to determine the ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid oxidase, total phenolic content and polyphenol oxidase in cauliflower, peas, chillies and radish from the local market, it was aimed to obtain and differentiate on the total phenolic content and ascorbic acid content. The total phenolic content was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method based on the standard calibration curve of catechol measured at 650 nm using spectrometer. The total phenolic content for chillies extracted with 80% ethanol was 0.86mg/100g fresh weight, whereas for green peas was 0.72mg/100g fresh weight. The total phenolic content for cauliflower that extracted with ethanol was 0.63mg/100g fresh weight whereas the total phenolic content for radish that extracted in ethanol solution was 0.53mg/100g fresh weight. The research has shown that the total phenolic content for all four kinds of vegetables have fluctuating phenol content The effect of cutting size and storage time on the quality of the fresh-cut cauliflower, peas, chillies and radish was studied to know the ascorbic acid and phenol variation each day. The fresh-cuts samples were subjected to four different observations for five days and then content of ascorbic acid was studied. Total phenol content was measured and the visual quality evaluated for all four vegetables. The ascorbic acid content was relatively high in both chillies and peas, and ranged from 20 to 28 mg/100 g fresh weight. Storage showed effect on the content of ascorbic acid. Total phenolic content was low in radish that is 0.53 mg/100g fresh weight. A decrease in total phenolic content during storage was demonstrated in radish which was same with the ascorbic acid content. Extensive browning rapidly reduced the visual quality, making the vegetables unmarketable. From the results gained in this study, radish seems to have large potential as fresh-cut products, whereas chillies, peas and cauliflower do not seem to be suitable for the processing and storage purposes.