THE CONTENT OF POLYPHENOLS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN LEAVES AND FLOWERS OF WILD GARLIC (ALLIUM URSINUM L.)

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) is a wildly growing plant that grows in forests and next to the streams. It has a specific aroma and taste resembling garlic. Wild garlic is increasingly favoured in gastronomy, food industry, and modern food technologies. The aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of changes in total polyphenols content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AOA) in wild garlic leaves and flowers during the vegetation period (from April to June). The samples of plant material were collected from the area of Bratislava-Zelezna studienka. The samples of fresh leaves and flowers were homogenized and a methanolic extract was prepared. These extracts were used for analyses. Total polyphenol content in the samples ranged from 726 +/- 10 mg GAE/kg FW to 14.1x10(2)+/- 13 mg GAE/kg FW. The values of antioxidant activity were from 10.7 +/- 1.57 to 25.9 +/- 1.06% inhibition FW.