Hort. Sci. (Prague), 2009, 36(1):21-25 | DOI: 10.17221/9/2008-HORTSCI

Impact of organic fertilizers on total antioxidant capacity in head cabbage

P. Bímová, R. Pokluda

Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, Lednice, Czech Republic

In recent years, the agri-food sector and consumers have begun to look at food not only for basic nutrition, but also for health benefits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variations in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in head cabbage according to the used type of fertilizer. Commercial brands of alternative, organic fertilizers were compared with conventional, mineral fertilizers in culture of head cabbage. There were seven different treatments: Agormin, Agro, farmyard manure, horticultural compost, Dvorecký agroferm, mineral fertilizer, and an unfertilized control. All the treatments assured approximately the same level of nutrients. The level of TAC was measured by the FRAP assay and the effect of storage on TAC was also studied. Average value of TAC in fresh cabbage was 236 ± 60 mg GA/100 g in the year 2005 and 295 ± 27 mg GA/100 g in the year 2006. The TAC value decreased in the course of storage. The average value of TAC after a five-month period of storage was 56 ± 18 mg GA/100 g in the year 2005 and 33 ± 5 mg GA/100 g in the year 2006. This study shows that alternative, organic fertilizers have similar or even better qualities than farmyard manure and that they can contribute to the improvement of nutritional values of vegetable.

Keywords: alternative organic fertilizer; cabbage; FRAP; storage; total antioxidant capacity

Published: March 31, 2009  Show citation