Czech J. Food Sci., 2025, 43(4):274-282 | DOI: 10.17221/139/2023-CJFS

Physicochemical and antioxidant evaluation of watercress (Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum L.) leaf extractsOriginal Paper

Edgar Daniel Cabrera-Domínguez1, Jesús Rodríguez-Miranda ORCID...1, Reyna Nallely Falfán-Cortés ORCID...2, Enrique Ramirez-Figueroa ORCID...1, Juan Gabriel Torruco-Uco ORCID...1, Betsabé Hernández-Santos ORCID...1
1 Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtepec, Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, México
2 Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, México

This research aimed to evaluate the type of solvent (80% methanol, ethanol, and water), solute/solvent ratio (1 : 10 and 1 : 15 w/v), maceration time (0 h, 24 h and 7 d) and stage of leaf maturity [vegetative (VW) and generative (GW)] on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of watercress leaf extracts. The leaf was characterised by determining the chemical composition, the phytochemical profile, and the colour. The GW presented the highest moisture content [93.25 g·(100 g)–1], carbohydrates [70.74 g·(100 g)–1], and lightness (L* = 59.66), and the presence of alkaloids, phytosterols, phenols, and flavonoids. VW had the highest protein content [26.52 g·(100 g)–1] and the lowest presence of phytochemicals. The best solvent for the extraction was distilled water at a 1 : 15 w/v ratio, GW at 24 h rest centrifuged at 2 300 × g for 15 min, obtaining the highest values of phenols [2 077 mg GAE·(100 g)–1], of dust and an inhibition power of 85.09% by the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS+) radical method. Therefore, cress leaves in the generative stage can be considered a potential source of bioactive compounds, and using water as an extracting agent for these compounds makes it a viable and economical method to be used in the food industry, and in addition, to be friendly to the environment.

Keywords: antioxidant capacity; extraction; maceration; phytochemical compounds; wild plants

Received: August 23, 2023; Revised: May 24, 2025; Accepted: May 29, 2025; Prepublished online: August 27, 2025; Published: August 31, 2025  Show citation

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Cabrera-Domínguez ED, Rodríguez-Miranda J, Nallely Falfán-Cortés R, Ramirez-Figueroa E, Torruco-Uco JG, Hernández-Santos B. Physicochemical and antioxidant evaluation of watercress (Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum L.) leaf extracts. Czech J. Food Sci. 2025;43(4):274-282. doi: 10.17221/139/2023-CJFS.
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