3.3. Antioxidant features
Two antioxidant features of the black carrot extract were
assayed: the reducing capacity and the free radical scavenging
ability. The results obtained were compared with those of the
orange carrot extract. The free radical scavenging activity of both
carrot extracts was assayed using the DPPH method as described in
the experimental section. The antiradical capacities of the black
carrot extracts were much higher than that of the orange carrot
extract (Table 2). This result was already anticipated attending to
the significantly higher amounts of total phenolics present in the
black carrot extracts including anthocyanins that have been widely
reported to have good free radical scavenging capacities (Bors
et al., 1990; Williams et al., 2004; Azevedo et al., 2010).
Moreover, the reducing capacity of the black carrot extracts was
assayed using the FRAP method. Again, the reducing capacity was
much higher for the black carrot extract (Table 2). However,
bearing the difference in phenolic levels between the black carrot
extracts and the orange carrot extract, the reducing capacities of
the black carrot extracts appear to be even higher than expected