Antioxidant and Anti-Obesity Potentials of Korean-Native Wild Vegetables (Allium species)

Abstract

Four Korea-native wild vegetables belonging to the Allium genus (Allium tuberosum Rottl., Allium senescens L., Allium thunbergii G. Don., and Allium sacculiferum Maxim.) were investigated for their antioxidant and anti-obesity potential, in order to promote the utilization of wild edible plants for the development of potential new crops. In this study, we compared the antioxidant activity of the plant extracts by ABTS+ and DPPH scavenging method. We then compared the anti-adipogenic effects of the extracts in adipocytes. We quantified the phenolics in the extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to identify the bioactive compounds. A. tuberosum and A. sacculiferum had a higher total phenolic content (19.0 ± 0.3 and 19.6 ± 0.7 mg GA/g extract, respectively) than A. senescens and A. thunbergii (16.0 ± 0.2 and 14.5 ± 0.7 mg GA/g extract). Caffeic acid, an antioxidant and anti-adipogenic compound, was detected in A. tuberosum and A. sacculiferum, but not in A. senescens and A. thunbergii. A. tuberosum, and A. sacculiferum showed superior antioxidative and anti-adipogenic activities compared to A. senescens and A. thunbergii. Therefore, A. tuberosum and A. sacculiferum, both of which contain antioxidant and anti-adipogenic phenolics, such as caffeic acid, present a therapeutic potential against obesity. Various phenolic compounds, which have been found to differ among Allium spp., may partially account for differences among the Allium spp. with respect to their antioxidant and anti-obesity effects.