*Article* **Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Polyphenols, Carotenoids and Antioxidant Activities of Selected Edible Leaves**

#### **K. D. Prasanna P. Gunathilake 1,2,\*, K. K. D. Somathilaka Ranaweera 2 and H. P. Vasantha Rupasinghe 3**


Received: 29 July 2018; Accepted: 28 August 2018; Published: 30 August 2018

**Abstract:** This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cooking (boiling, steaming, and frying) on polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids and antioxidant activity of six edible leaves. The total antioxidant capacity of the fresh and cooked leaves was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and singlet oxygen scavenging assays. The results revealed that frying caused a reduction in major bioactives and antioxidant activities in all leafy vegetables tested. However, steamed and boiled leaves of *C. auriculata* and *C. asiatica* have shown greater levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity compared with fresh leaves. Polyphenol and flavonoid contents of boiled *S. grandiflora* and *G. lactiferum* were higher than that of their fresh form. Boiled and steamed *O. zeylanica* and *S. grandiflora* have shown higher carotenoids. Boiled and steamed leaves of *P. edulis* have shown higher antioxidant activity. The impact of cooking on the changes in bioactive concentrations and antioxidant capacities are dependent on the species and the method of cooking.

**Keywords:** green leafy vegetables; effect of cooking; polyphenols; antioxidant activity
