Anthocyanins profile and antioxidant capacity of red cabbages are influenced by genotype and vegetation period

The profile and content of anthocyanins in five red cabbage varieties were analyzed using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS method. The antioxidant capacity of red cabbages was evaluated using five in vitro assays. Red cabbages contained twenty different anthocyanins with the main structure of cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucosides. The presence of nonacylated, monoacylated and diacylated form was identified. Nonacylated and diacylated with sinapic acid derivatives of cyanidin-3-diglucoside-5-glucoside were predominant. The content of anthocyanins varied significantly in plants grown in two different years (P < 0.05). Moreover, the vegetation period length was demonstrated to affect the anthocyanins profile. The extract of red cabbages scavenged radicals and their antiradical potential differed significantly across the varieties (P < 0.05). In addition, red cabbage antioxidant capacity was positively and significantly correlated with anthocyanins content (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that red cabbage varieties possess own anthocyanins fingerprint and specific antioxidant capacity, which are also under the influence of vegetation period.