NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION, WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS, MINERAL PROFILE AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS L.) GROWN IN THE SAMARKAND REGION

This study investigated the nutritional composition, water-soluble vitamins, mineral content, and antioxidant activity of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) grown in the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan. The proximate composition was determined using standard analytical methods. Vitamin concentrations were measured by HPLC-PDA, mineral elements were analyzed by ICP-OES, and antioxidant activity was examined using the DPPH assay. Fresh okra pods contained 83.94–86.72 g/100 g of moisture and 0.09–0.15 g/100 g of crude fat. Seven vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, and PP) were reported in the HPLC-PDA analysis. Vitamin B3 showed the highest measured concentration (7.223 ± 0.168 mg/L), whereas vitamin B12 was not detected. Among the mineral elements, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium were predominant in raw samples. After cooking, the measured concentrations of several vitamins and minerals were lower than those in fresh samples. However, further experiments under controlled cooking conditions are needed to confirm these changes. The DPPH assay showed that the ethanolic extract had stronger radical-scavenging activity than the aqueous extract at the tested volumes. The estimated IC₅₀ values were 141.99 µL for the ethanolic extract and 380.85 µL for the aqueous extract. Overall, the results provide initial information on the nutritional composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of okra cultivated in Samarkand. Further work is needed to verify the analytical measurements, assess elemental safety, and confirm the estimated IC₅₀ values before drawing conclusions about food safety or potential health benefits.