A remarkable influence of microwave extraction: Enhancement of antioxidant activity of extracted onion varieties

Four (red, yellow, white and grelot onion) varieties of Allium cepa, a rich source of quercetin (flavonol) glycosides, were studied for their total content of reducing compounds (TCRC), flavonol content and antioxidant activity evaluation. Extracts obtained by solvent free microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) technique and conventional solvent extraction (CSE) were analysed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantification of flavonoids. Three different methods were selected for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of the different onion varieties (after the determination of their phenolic content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method): the reduction of the stable DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical, the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) method, and the inhibition of the AAPH-induced peroxidation of linoleic acid in SDS micelles. The highest antioxidant capacity was observed for red onion, followed by yellow, white and grelot onion. In spite of the low recovery of extractable flavonoids (quercetin 3,4′-diglucoside, 4′-glucoside and 3-glucoside), MHG remained the preferred extraction method in comparison to the conventional method, as all the samples obtained under microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in all the tests. Also the microscopic observations of extracted tissues showed that at cellular level, microwaves induced disruptions of vacuoles and cell walls thus promoting the effectiveness of this method.

Research highlights
► We use a novel and green extraction technique of antioxidants using microwave energy.
► We use microwave hydro-diffusion and gravity without adding solvent or water.
► We produce microwave extracts rich in antioxidants in comparison with solvent extraction.
► We show that microwave action is specific and allows better extraction and detexturation.