Total Antioxidant Potential of Pearl Millet Genotypes: Inbreds and Designated B-lines

Antioxidant potential was measured by estimation of total antioxidant activity (TAA) of 92 pearl millet genotypes comprising 46 each of inbreds and designated B-lines (maintainer of CMS lines) grown during kharif-2013 and those of the 27 genotypes (9 inbreds and 18 designated B-lines) selected during kharif-2013 further grown during kharif-2014. TAA was estimated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method as well as by 2, 2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS⁺) method. All the genotypes showed appreciable amount of TAA irrespective of the method used. Average TAA of total genotypes screened during kharif-2013 was 1032 ìg Vit. C equi./g with a wide significant variation from 332 to 1529 μg Vit. C equi./g. The designated B-lines had higher average TAA (1127 μg Vit. C equi./g) than that of inbred lines. During kharif-2014 the average TAA of selected lines varied from 549 to 1880 μg Vit. C equi./g with an average value of 1087 μg Vit. C equi./g (DPPH method) and from 3970 to 6804 μg Trolox equi./g with an average value of 5360 μg Trolox equi./g (ABTS+ method). The average TAA of pearl millet genotypes (DPPH method) was significantly higher than that of commercial samples of wheat (550 μg Vit. C equi./g) and maize (680 μg Vit. C equi./g) procured from local market and tested along with.