PODER ANTIOXIDANTE DO ALHO PORÓ (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) SUBMETIDO A DIFERENTES CONDIÇÕES DE SECAGEM E DE PREPARO

Abstract

One of humanity’s greatest challenges is to improve diet quality through healthy intake based on fruits, vegetables, cereals, and legumes, while also reducing the environmental impact caused by excessive food waste. Leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) is widely known in global cuisine and has medicinal properties and bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, offering benefits to human health. This study evaluated the antioxidant properties and phenolic compound content of leeks subjected to different preparation methods (boiled and sautéed) and drying conditions (50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C). The analyzed data indicated that leek (Allium porrum), especially when subjected to controlled thermal treatments, showed significant variation in moisture, ash, protein, lipid, carbohydrate content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Drying treatments at 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C promoted higher concentrations of proteins and carbohydrates due to water removal and increase in total solids. This pattern was also reflected in antioxidant activity, where ABTS and DPPH values were significantly higher in the 50 °C and 60 °C treatments, indicating that thermal control favors the preservation and concentration of these compounds. Moreover, it was observed that methods such as boiling and sautéing better preserve moisture but result in lower antioxidant concentrations compared to drying. The sheaths and leaves of leek treated at 50 °C and 60 °C showed the best results for antioxidant capacity, with notable DPPH values in the leaf at 50 °C (249.81 µM Trolox/g) and in the sheath at 60 °C (252.78 µM Trolox/g), indicating a positive interaction between controlled temperature and bioactivity. The results demonstrate that leek has high antioxidant potential, especially when subjected to drying at moderate temperatures (50 °C to 60 °C). These methods favor the preservation of bioactive compounds and are recommended both for conservation and for functional applications in food formulations.