A COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ASSESSMENT OF ORGANICALLY VERSUS CONVENTIONALLY GROWN CABBAGE (BRASSICA OLERACEA)

Abstract This study presents a comparative analysis of the phytochemical composition and in vitroantioxidant activity of organically and conventionally (termed 'inorganic') cultivated cabbage (Brassica oleracea) leaves. A multi-methodological approach was employed, encompassing ultrasound-assisted extraction for targeted phenolic recovery, Soxhlet extraction for broad-spectrum analysis, and validated spectrophotometric assays. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification revealed that organic cabbage accumulated significantly higher concentrations of chlorogenic acid (33.86 vs. 14.82 µg/ml), kaempferol (19.87 vs. 12.47 µg/ml), caffeic acid (9.85 vs. 3.11 µg/ml), and quercetin (7.28 vs. 4.87 µg/ml). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling further demonstrated distinct compositional differences in volatile and semi-volatile organic constituents between cultivation types. Consistent with these findings, organic extracts exhibited markedly elevated total phenolic (77.12 vs. 53.23 ppm GAE) and total flavonoid (49.43 vs. 32.48 ppm RE) contents. The enhanced phytochemical profile directly correlated with superior antioxidant efficacy, as evidenced by a significantly higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (83% vs. 71%). These results robustly demonstrate that organic cultivation practices significantly enhance the concentration of key bioactive phenolics and the resultant in vitro antioxidant capacity of cabbage, underscoring the impact of agricultural methodology on the nutraceutical quality of food crops.