EFFECT OF FRYING TIME ON PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF FENUGREEK SEEDS (Trigonella foenum-graecum) AND CUMIN SEEDS (Cuminum cyminum)

Abstract

The frying of spices is a popular technique used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian cuisine to enhance the overall flavor of a dish. This study focused on the impact of frying fenugreek and cumin seeds in oil at a constant temperature and for different time intervals on their phytochemical and antioxidant activity. The spices were purchased from local market of Dharan, were winnowed, handpicked and were fried in oil at constant temperature i.e., 220°C and different frying interval (15, 30, 45, 60 sec). The fried sample was analyzed for tannin content, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The proximate composition of fenugreek seeds i.e., crude protein, crude fat, ash content, crude fiber, carbohydrate, moisture content, iron and calcium content was found to be 24.81±0.27%,4.07±0.16%,3.26±0.05%,15±0.22%,52.29±0.24%,10.76±0.24,5.076±0.11 mg/100g and 134.9±0.1mg/100g respectively and of cumin seeds was found to be16.04±0.15%,13.97±0.11,6.24±0.08%,10.22±0.23%,53.53±0.6%,9.3±1.26%,11.45±0.12 mg/100g and 1097±3.6 mg/100g respectively. All values presented are the mean± s.d of three determinations, and are expressed on dry basis. The mean value of tannin, total phenol content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity (IC50) in raw fenugreek seed was found to be 3.96 mg tannic acid /100g, 114.22 mg GAE/100g, 75.7mgQE/100g and 339.27 µg/ml respectively and in cumin seed was found to be 2.51mg tannin acid/100g, 88.12 mgGAE/100g, 64.234 mgQE/100g and 580.67µg/ml respectively. Frying interval show significant reduction (p˂0.05) in tannin, total phenol content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of both the spices. This is a clear indication that bioactive components of spice are sensitive to heat and therefore should not be cooked when using them for medicinal purposes. The overall temperature and frying interval is believed to play a role in the spice’s effectiveness, as at different frying interval, spices seems to show changes in phytochemical and antioxidant activity so, it is better to consume raw rather than frying and if fried it is better to fry for short time.