Phytochemical Characteristics of Alfalfas Grown from Germplasm Obtained from the USDA Collection
Rehnborg Center for Nutrition and Wellness, Nutrilite Division of Amway
The majority of research directed toward the phytochemical characterization of alfalfa has been approached from the traditional use of alfalfa as an animal feed. Relatively little work has been done to assay for the phytochemical profile of alfalfas in terms of human nutrition. We have investigated the content of three classes of phytochemicals: carotenoids, tocopherols and saponins. Carotenoid and tocopherol levels were measured using HPLC. Saponins were estimated using a bovine serum hemolysis technique. Additionally, these alfalfas were assayed to determine their ability to function as an antioxidant using a test tube assay developed to measure the antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts of fresh plants. These assays were performed on 47 varieties of alfalfa obtained from the USDA collection representing various regions from around the world. Statistical analysis has shown a correlation between certain phytochemical constituents and the latitude from which the germplasm originated.