The influence of varying cooking temperatures on the antioxidant properties of the aqueous extract of Piper guineense (Schumach & Thonn) seeds

Article history: Received: January 24, 2020 Accepted: July 7, 2020 The study assessed the influence of varying cooking temperatures on the antioxidant properties of the aqueous extract of Piper guineense seeds. Different portions of the aqueous extract of P. guineense seeds were cooked at different temperatures which include 50 C, 70 C, and 90 C for 10 minutes, while the remaining portion was allowed to stand for 10 minutes at room temperature of 29 C and all were assessed for the evaluations of reducing power, radical scavenging capacities, and total phenolic contents. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the ferric reducing power at 90 C, however, there was no significant difference between the raw and the cooked P. guineense seeds at 50 C and 70 C. In addition, the radical scavenging potential of the extract was highest at 70 C, however, none of the cooked P. guineense seeds at the selected temperatures exhibited lower DPPH scavenging property. A similar trend was observed for the phenolic content of the extract with a significant reduction at 90 C. The study suggests that cooking at 70 C could enhance the antioxidant potentials of P. guineense seeds.