ANTIOXIDATIVE PROPERTIES OF BITTER GOURD (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA) AND ZUCCHINI(CUCURBITA PEPO)

Mijitaba Hamissou; Amanda C. Smith; Robert E. Carter Jr; Jimmy K. Triplett II

doi:10.9755/ejfa.v25i9.15978

Authors

Mijitaba Hamissou Department of Biology, 242 Martin Hall, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265, USA
Amanda C. Smith Department of Biology, 242 Martin Hall, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265, USA
Robert E. Carter Jr Department of Biology, 242 Martin Hall, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265, USA
Jimmy K. Triplett II Department of Biology, 242 Martin Hall, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.v25i9.15978

Keywords:

Phenolic compounds, ?-glucosidase, Bitter gourd, Zucchini

Abstract

The enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative capacities of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) were investigated in water extracts and chemical buffer extracts. Bitter gourd and zucchini fruits were purchased from a farmer’s market and homogenized separately in water and in a native enzyme extraction buffer. Total phenolic compounds, free radical DPPH scavenging activity, SOD activity and β-glucosidase activity were assayed in the extracts. The average total phenolic compounds recorded in bitter gourd were 13.28 GAE/g fresh weights while in zucchini, the average was 8.67GAE/g fresh weight. This study also found that bitter gourd was 82.05% as effective as ascorbic acid in inhibiting the free radical DPPH while zucchini was 12.19% as effective. The results indicated that bitter gourd was significantly higher in antioxidant content and in β-glucosidase activities than zucchini (P<0.05). On the other hand, significantly higher SOD activities were recorded in zucchini than in bitter gourd extracts.