THE INFLUENCE OF VARIETY ON THE CONTENT OF TOTAL POLYPHENOLS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN LEEK (ALLIUM PORRUM L.)

Leek (Allium porrum L.) is a member of the Allium genus. It is known for its specific taste and aroma. Leek is used in gastronomy and modern food technologies. It is also important to note that bioactive substances of leek are very little explored. Compared to onion and garlic, little attention is paid to the leek. The samples of plant material were collected from the area of Zohor (Slovakia). The aim of this study was to analyse the content of total polyphenols (TPC) and the value antioxidant activity (AOA) in selected cultivars of leek. The samples of leek were homogenized and a methanolic extract was prepared. These extracts were used for analyses. Total polyphenol content in the samples ranged from 504.22 +/- 48.28 mg GAE.kg(-1) DW to 4767.71 +/- 80.55 mg GAE.kg(-1) DW. The values of antioxidant activity were from 4.30 +/- 1.02 to 47.40 +/- 0.49 % inhibition.