Skip to main content
Log in

Antioxidative and antigenotoxic effects of onion peel extracts in non-cellular and cellular systems

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Food Science and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of acetonic, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts of onion peel in non-cellular and cellular systems were evaluated. HPLC analysis was performed to determine the amounts of flavonoids in onion peel extracts. HPLC analysis showed that onion peel extracts contained well-known antioxidant compounds, including epicatechin and morin. All of the flavonoids measured and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values were greatest in the methanolic extract. ORAC was strongly correlated with total phenolic content (r 2=0.980). The total radical trapping antioxidant potential was greatest in the ethanolic extract. DPPH radical-scavenging activity was in the order of acetonic>ethanolic>methanolic extract. In contrast, the reducing capacity of intracellular oxidative stress was almost the same in all extracts. In addition, pretreatment with onion peel significantly reduced human leukocyte DNA damage induced by H2O2 or 4-hydroxynonenal. Taken together, the results indicate that onion peel has antioxidative and antigenotoxic properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Floyd RA. Antioxidants, oxidative stress, and degenerative neurological disorders. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 222: 236–245 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sen S, Chakraborty R, Sridhar C, Reddy YSR, De B. Free radicals, antioxidants, diseases and phytomedicines: Current status and future prospect. Int. J. Pharm. Bio. Sci. 1: 32–44 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  3. FAO Statistics. Report on productions, crops. Available from: http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx#ancor. Accessed Feb. 3, 2008.

  4. Griffiths G, Trueman L, Crowther T, Thomas B, Smith B. Onions-a global benefit to health. Phytother. Res. 16: 603–615 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Singh BN. Polyphenolic from various extracts/fractions of red onion (Allium cepa) peel with potent antioxidant and antimutagenic activities. Food Chem. Toxicol. 47: 1161–1167 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Jeong CH, Heo HJ, Choi SG, Shim KH. Antioxidant and anticancer properties of methanolic extracts from different parts of white, yellow, and red onion. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 18: 108–112 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kim SJ, Kim GH. Quantification of quercetin in different parts of onion and its DPPH radical scavenging and antibacterial activity. Food Sci. Biotechnol. 15: 39–43 (2006)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Waldron KW. Useful ingredients from onion waste. Food Sci. Technol. 15: 38–41 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Folin O, Denis W. On phosphotungastic-phosphomolybdic compounds as color reagents. J. Biol. Chem. 12: 239–249 (1912)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kurihara H, Fukami H, Asami S, Totoda Y, Nakai M, Shibata H, Yao XS. Effects of oolong tea on plasma antioxdative capacity in mice loaded with restraint stress assessed using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Bio. Pharm. Bull. 27: 1093–1098 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mensor LL, Menezes FS, Leitao GG, Reis AS, Santos TC, Coube CS, Leitao SG. Screening of Brazilian plant extracts for antioxidant activity by the use of DPPH free radical method. Phytother. Res. 15: 127–130 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Rice-Evans C, Miller NJ. Total antioxidant status in plasma and body fluids. Meth. Enzymol. 234: 279–293 (1994)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lautraite S, Bigot-Lasserre D, Bars R, Carmichael N. Optimisation of cell-based assays for medium throughput screening of oxidative stress. Toxicol. In Vitro 17: 207–220 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Singh PN, McCoy MT, Tice RR, Schneider EL. A simple technique for quantitation of low levels of DNA damage in individual cells. Exp. Cell Res. 175: 184–191 (1988)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Turkmen N, Sari F, Velioglu YS. Effect of extraction solvents on concentration and antioxidant activity of black and black mate polyphenols determined by ferrous tartrate and Folin-Ciocalteu methods. Food Chem. 99: 838–841 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Yao L, Jiang Y, Datta N. HPLC analyses of flavonols and phenolic acid in the fresh young shoots of tea (Camellia sinensis) grown in Australia. Food Chem. 84: 253–263 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Vaghasiya Y, Dave R, Chanda S. Phytochemical analysis of some medicinal plants from western region of India. Res. J. Med. Plant. 5: 567–576 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Franco DJ, Sineiro M, Núñez MJ. Ethanolic extraction of Rosa rubiginosa soluble substances: Oil solubility equilibria and kinetic studies. J. Food Eng. 79: 150–157 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tsushida T, Suzuki M. Content of flavonol glucosides and some properties of enzymes metabolizing the glucosides in onion. Food Sci. Technol. Res. 43: 642–649 (1996)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Nemeth K, Piskula MK. Food content, processing, absorption and metabolism of onion flavonoids. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 47: 397–409 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Prakash D, Singh BN, Upadhyay G. Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of phenols from onion (Allium cepa). Food Chem. 102: 1389–1393 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Apak R, Güçlü K, Demirata B, Ozyürek M, Celik SE, Bektaþoðlu B, Berker KI, Ozyurt D. Comparative evaluation of various total antioxidant capacity assays applied to phenolic compounds with the CUPRAC assay. Molecules 12: 1496–1547 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ou B, Huang D, Hampsch-Woodill M, Flanagan JA, Deemer EK. Analysis of antioxidant activities of common vegetables employing oxygen radical absorvance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay: A comparative study. J. Agr. Food Chem. 50: 3122–3128 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Huang Z, Wang B, Eaves DH, Shikany JM, Pace RD. Total phenolics and antioxidant capacity of indigenous vegetables in the southeast United States: Alabama collaboration for cardiovascular equality project. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 60: 100–108 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bang HA, Cho JS. Antioxidant effects on various solvent extracts from onion peel and onion flesh. J. Korean Diet. Assoc. 4: 14–19 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Knasmüller S, Mersch-Sundermann V, Kevekordes S, Darroudi F, Huber WW, Hoelzl C, Bichler J, Majer BJ. Use of human-derived liver cell lines for the detection of environmental and dietary genotoxicants; current state of knowledge. Toxicology 198: 315–328 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Kim GN, Jang HD. Flavonol content in the water extract of the mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf and their antioxidant capacities. J. Food Sci. 76: C869–C873 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Suh HJ, Lee JM, Cho JS, Kim Y, Chung SH. Radical scavenging compounds in onion skin. Food Res. Int. 32: 659–664 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ruch RJ, Chung SU, Klaunig JE. Spin trapping of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Meth. Enzymol. 105: 198–209 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Alary J, Fernandez Y, Debrauwer L, Perdu E, Guéraud F. Identification of intermediate pathways of 4-hydroxynonenal metabolism in the rat. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 16: 320–327 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Shon MY, Choi SD, Kahng GG, Nam SH, Sung NJ. Antimutagenic, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of ethyl acetate extracts from white, yellow and red onions. Food Chem. Toxicol. 42: 659–666 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Park J, Kim J, Kim MK. Onion flesh and onion peel enhance antioxidant status in aged rats. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 53: 21–29 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eunju Park.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, J., Kim, JS. & Park, E. Antioxidative and antigenotoxic effects of onion peel extracts in non-cellular and cellular systems. Food Sci Biotechnol 22, 1–8 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-013-0228-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-013-0228-0

Keywords

Navigation