Determination of antioxidant capacity, phenolic acids, and fatty acid composition of rapeseed varieties.

Three different analytical methods: ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) were used for determination of antioxidant capacity of seven rapeseed varieties. Antioxidant capacity and levels of the total phenolic content, individual phenolic acids, fatty acid composition, and the selected physicochemical properties of the studied rapeseed cultivars were determined. Mean ORAC values for methanolic extracts of rapeseeds (4092-12989 mmol of Trolox/100 g) were significantly higher than FRAP and DPPH values (6218-7641 and 6238-7645 mumol of Trolox/100 g, respectively). Although FRAP and DPPH results were lower than ORAC values for all studied rapeseed varieties, there are linear and significant correlations between these three analytical methods (correlation coefficients ranged between 0.9124 and 0.9930, p < 0.005). Also, total phenolic compounds in rapeseeds correlated with antioxidant capacity (correlation coefficients ranged between 0.8708 and 0.9516, p < 0.01). Total phenolic acids determined by HPLC varied from 20.3 mg to 40.7 mg per 100 g of rapeseed flour, and the main phenolic acid is sinapic acid (17.4-36.4 mg/100 g). Fatty acid composition (SAFA = 7.2-8.6%, MUFA = 58.5-68.0%, PUFA = 24.7-33.9%) and the absence of trans-fatty acids indicate that the studied rapeseed varieties can be a source of unsaturated fatty acids and have a positive impact on human health.