The present study investigated the antioxidant and phenolic composition of sugarcane. The leaves and juices of thirteen varieties of sugarcane were studied for their antioxidant activity and protective effect on DNA damage. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay was used to determine the radical scavenging activities in leaves and juices. Different varieties of sugarcane showed good antioxidant properties, IC50 values ranged from 20.82 to 27.47 μg/ml for leaves and from 63.95 to higher than 200 μg/ml for juice. The leaves and juice possess strong ability to protect against DNA damage induced by hydroxyl radical generated in Fenton reaction. The major phenolic acids, some flavonoid aglycone and glycosides were identified in leaves by high performance liquid chromatography. Ferulic acid (14.63 ± 0.03 mg/g), cumaric acid (11.65 ± 0.03 mg/g), quercetrin (10.96 ± 0.02 mg/g), caffeic acid (9.16 ± 0.01 mg/g) and ellagic acid (9.03 ± 0.02 mg/g) were prédominant in infusion of sugarcane.
Keywords: Antioxidant activity; DNA damage; HPLC analysis; Hydroxyl radical; Sugarcane.
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