Antioxidant Content Analysis of Microgreen Radish and Parsley and Evaluation of Their Antiproliferative Effects in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

Microgreens have become popular due to the positive health and high nutritional value effects of the bioactive compounds they contain. This study aimed to determine the total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant contents of red radish and parsley microgreens and to evaluate their anticancer effects in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells (CLL). After methanolic extraction of microgreens, DPPH, radical scavenging activity and total polyphenol and flavonoid content were analyzed spectrophotometrically. The effects of microgreens on MEC-1 and HG-3 CLL cell lines were determined by MTT method. The methanolic total flavonoid content of red radish and parsley microgreens were 2,562 mg/g RE and 1,306 mg/g RE, respectively; total polyphenol contents were 4,133 mg/g GAE and 1,851 mg/g GAE, respectively; DPPH radical scavenging activity were 701,423 µg/g GAE and 625,717 µg/g GAE, respectively. The IC50 concentrations were found 70 mg/ml and 75 mg/ml for parsley microgreen for MEC-1 and HG-3 cell lines, respectively; 65 mg/ml for red radish microgreen for MEC-1 cells, while more cell proliferation was observed at the doses applied for HG-3 cells. Higher antioxidant content was found in microgreen radish than in parsley. Methanolic microgreen extracts significantly reduced cell proliferation in CLL cell cultures at varying levels. Of interest in terms of potential antitumor effects, microgreen radish extracts, which are rich in polyphenol content, showed a proliferative effect on wild-type CLL cells. In conclusion, this study is important in terms of revealing the activities of various microgreens, particularly radish and parsley microgreens, and detailing their benefits on human health.