Daily Radical Scavenging and Singlet Oxygen Quenching Capacity Intake from Fruits and Vegetables in Japan

Radical scavenging and singlet oxygen quenching activities of 32 kinds of fruits and vegetables typically consumed in Japan were evaluated using both the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and singlet oxygen absorption capacity (SOAC) methods. Total-ORAC and SOAC values correlated with total polyphenol (r = 0.92) and carotenoid (r = 0.85) contents. From the data of daily fruit and vegetable intake (110.0 and 286.4 g, respectively) in the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, daily ORAC and SOAC intakes were estimated to be 3177.7 mu mol trolox equivalents/day and 1610.3 mu mol alpha-tocopherol equivalents/day, respectively. The major contributors to ORAC intake were apples, Satsuma mandarins, edible burdock, and onions, accounting for 44.3 % of the total; whereas Japanese squash, carrots, tomatoes, and spinach accounted for 73.2 % of total SOAC intake. Total antioxidant capacity assessment of foods may facilitate the identification of relationships between antioxidant intake and disease risk reduction.