Differences of Nutrients and Antioxidant Activities among Different Species of Celery

In order to clarify the differences in nutrients and antioxidant activities among different species of celery, four species of celery including Chinese celery, cress, celery stalk and white celery were used as samples, the contents of vitamin C, 5-methyl tetrahydrofolic acid and folic acid, carotene, total phenolics, total flavonoids and phenolic acids were measured and the antioxidant activities were determined. The results showed that the contents of vitamin C and total phenolic in cress and the amount of total folates in white celery were the highest. Chinese celery had the highest content of carotenes. The total flavonoids in cress, white celery and Chinese celery were high and had no significant differences between each other. The total phenolic acids were high in cress and white celery and had no significant differences between each other. The contents of vitamin C, total phenolic, total flavonoids and total phenolic acids in celery stalk were the lowest among the species of celery. In the evaluation of antioxidant activity, cress had the highest ability of DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging, followed by Chinese celery and white celery. Chinese celery had the highest ability of FRAP reduction, followed by white celery and cress. The celery stalk had the lowest antioxidant activity in three evaluation methods. Cress, white celery and Chinese celery had different prominent characteristics and high antioxidant activity, which has guiding significance to the recommendation of high nutrient vegetable species and the risk assessment of nutrients dietary intake.