Color attributes, betacyanin, and carotenoid profiles, bioactive components, and radical quenching capacity in selected Amaranthus gangeticus leafy vegetables

Abstract

Four selected A. gangeticus accessions were evaluated in terms of color attributes, phytopigments, including betaxanthin, betacyanin, and carotenoid profiles, proximate, minerals, and antioxidant capacity (AC). Color attributes, phytopigments, proximate, minerals, and AC of A. gangeticus significantly varied across the accessions. For the first time, we identified four betacyanin compounds, such as amaranthine, iso-amaranthine, betanin, iso-betanin. We also identified five carotenoid compounds zeaxanthin neoxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, and pro-vitamin A in A. gangeticus accessions. A. gangeticus contained adequate carbohydrates, protein, moisture, and dietary fiber. We found adequate iron, manganese, copper, zinc, sodium, molybdenum, boron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur in A. gangeticus accessions. The accessions LS7 and LS9 had considerable color attributes, betacyanin, and carotenoid compounds, proximate, nutraceuticals, betalain, betaxanthin, and AC that could be used as preferable potent antioxidant varieties for consumption as sources of phytopigments, nutraceuticals, and antioxidants. The correlation study revealed that antioxidant constituents of A. gangeticus accession were strongly associated with AC. The identified components of betacyanin and carotenoid in A. gangeticus demands detail pharmacological study. The baseline data on color attributes, betacyanin, and carotenoid profiles, betaxanthins, betalains, and AC obtained in this present study could contribute to the scientific evaluation of pharmacologically active principles in A. gangeticus.