• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to determine the content of phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant activity and antioxidant enzyme status for the extracts from 5 and 7-day old sprouts (DOS) of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp). Total phenolics [mg ferulic acid equivalents (FAE) $kg^{-1}$ DW] content was highest in cotyledon extracts (48.8 mg $kg^{-1}$), followed by roots (30.8 mg $kg^{-1}$) and hypocotyl (22.2 mg $kg^{-1}$) extracts (p < 0.05) from 5 DOS. The result of total flavonoid level [mg rutin equivalents $kg^{-1}$ DW] had same tendency to the results of total phenolics, showing lower amount ranges. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extracts from all the plant dose-dependently increased. DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical) free radical scavenging activity was higher in cotyledon extracts (82.5%) than in root (52.6%) or hypocotyl parts (35.0%) from 5 DOS. Among antioxidant enzymes, APX and CAT activities were highest in cotyledon part and POX and SOD activities in root part of 5 and 7 DOS. The results showed that total phenolics content ($r^2$ = 0.1516~0.9911) were more highly correlated with antioxidant activity than total flavonoids level ($r^2$ = 0.0113~0.9442), and that the level and activity of physiological-active substances were different depending on plant part of the sprout.