Comparative study of experimental approaches to increase the availability of phytochemicals using gamma radiation

摘要

In recent years, there has been significant interest in the reduction of health risks due to diseases caused by oxidative stress. Many plants contain compounds that mitigate such decay, and there are many studies that attempt to increase the availability of these phytochemicals using gamma radiation. This paper reviews 14 such studies, in attempt to shed light on the overarching elements of the employed experimental designs. Most studies of gamma irradiated plants evaluated the total phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as the antioxidant capacity of plant extracts, while only a few evaluated the antimicrobial activity and the vitamin or mineral content. The assays used to quantify this data were rather similar however, the dosimetry and extraction methods varied greatly, according to the plant which was being studied. Among the reviewed papers, only a few found that the irradiation of plant material decreased or had no effect on the assayed parameters. The majority of studies showed significant increases, at various doses, among the assayed data.