Antioxidant and nutritional characteristics of some raw vegan appetizers based on vegetables

Delia-Gabriela Dumbrava, Camelia Moldovan, Mariana-Atena Poiana, Ducu Sandu Stef, Corina Dana Misca, Viorica-Mirela Popa, Bogdan Radoi, Diana-Nicoleta Raba

Volume 30, Issue 4;
Pages: 483-490; 2024
ISSN: 2069-0053 (print), Agroprint;
ISSN (online): 2068-9551

Abstract

Raw vegan foods are obtained exclusively from non-thermally processed vegetable raw materials, are considered "living food" bringing an important supply of enzymes, vitamins and other bioactive principles valuable for human health and that is why they are recommended in the daily menus not only of vegans and vegetarians but also of omnivores. The purpose of this work was primarily to create two raw vegan appetizers based on vegetables: one (RVA1) using carrots, celery, leeks, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic and the second (RVA2) with zucchini, avocado, kapia pepper, chili pepper, tomato, garlic. Another aim of the paper was the analysis of the raw vegan appetizers in terms of vitamin C content (iodometric assay), carotenoids (spectrophotometric method), total polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteu assay), antioxidant activity (CUPRAC method), proximate composition and sensory properties (5-point hedonic scale method). The RVA1 assortment stood out for the highest vitamin C content (106.18±1.08 mg ascorbic acid/g), while RVA2 had a higher amount of total polyphenols (3.14±0.06 mg GAE/g) and carotenoids (73.04±0.24 μg/g). Antioxidant activity of RVA2 was slightly higher (10.27±0.46 mg Trolox/g) than that of RVA1 (9.62±0.46 mg Trolox/g). Of the two raw vegan appetizers, RVA1 had a much lower caloric content than RVA2, in the first product quantitatively predominating carbohydrates, and in the second lipids. At the sensory analysis, both products obtained very good scores (over 4.5) for all characteristics, RVA2 being better appreciated in terms of texture, taste and aroma (4.70, 4.85 and 4.80) than RVA1 (4.55, 4.70 and 4.75).