Changes in the contents of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity during the aging of seeds of wild populations of Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae)

Abstract

In the present study, the variation in the contents of total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins, and iron reducing power of five wild populations of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from the state of Durango, Mexico, was determined every two months, during six months of storage. For comparative purposes, the Negro Bola variety was analyzed in the same manner. The results revealed a decrease in the phenolic compounds levels and in the reducing power for all the samples analyzed, but with important variations in the percentages of decrease between samples. The variations found suggest the existence of a high genetic diversity among the wild forms. The results of the cluster analysis suggest that the variations in the levels of the different phenolic compounds and in the reducing power were of such a magnitude that they allowed to discriminate between the seeds of different genotype at any time of storage, thus they can be useful chemomarkers for the development of quality control tools for common bean.