[IFN] -- Lettuce, one type of vegetable in Mediterranean food menu, very beneficial to health, mainly because rich in antioxidants, but not all varieties of plants that have the same antioxidant effects.
Sciencedaily.com site launch, according to a study led by Pérez-López particular from the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Science UPV / EHU, the color of the leaves of the plant determines the speed of compounds acting.
So, lettuce with green leaves have antioxidant that reacts more slowly while red-leaf lettuce has antioxidant effects faster.
Results of the study were published in the paper "phenolic composition and antioxidant properties involved in the different colors of the leaves of lettuce: a study by Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) Kinetics" which was recently published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Antioxidants are substances that counteract the long-term protection of the process chain reaction of free radicals, or molecules that can damage cells and cause various diseases. Free radicals are harmful to our bodies by way of aging, and the worst is serious diseases.
Lettuce is rich in antioxidants, because they contain compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, as well as vitamins A and C, and so forth.
Three varieties
To conduct the study, which began in 2011, researchers from the UPV / EHU and the University of Pisa (Italy) analyze three varieties of lettuce: green leafy lettuce "Batavia", semi-red lettuce "Marvel of Four Seasons", and red leaf lettuce "Oak Leaf ".
Using Electron Resonance techniques Paramagnetis, they were able to observe the behavior of kinetic compound of each variety. The result shows green leafy lettuce contains antioxidant compounds that are soluble in water, which acts on the slow and medium speed, red leaves have a compound kinetic medium and fast, while red lettuce leaf spring has three kinds of compounds with fast speed, medium and slow.
As emphasized Dr. Pérez-López, "The fact that these compounds act at different speeds, lettuce does not mean that certain colors better or worse than another. If we consume foods that can trigger free radical activity, there will be a compound that acts to eliminate they are faster.
However, at the same time important for our bodies to get food intake with antioxidants that have a kinetic slow so that later you can play longer. That is why people say better mix lettuce with various colors because its characteristics are different and complementary. "
After determining the kinetics of antioxidants, research is currently continuing with the aim of completing "nutraceutical" of the three varieties of lettuce. The research group is currently trying to improve the effect of specific compounds in each plant varieties with displays on short pressure. These compounds show a defensive function in plants.
So if abnormal conditions applied to the plants (like pouring salt water or expose it to certain lighting intensity or high exposure to Carbon Dioxide), the defense will be increased and as a result will increase the quality of plant antioxidants.
"What is important in this process is not lost productivity, and that is why we applied stress intensity short. The excessive stress, plant growth can be disrupted, and we are not interested in achieving good quality but the risk is reducing the size of the plant. The goal is to maintain production and achieve a good quality of this production, "said Dr. Pérez-López particular.
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