Kanyamanee Pumethakul

Food is one of the factors with the highest impact on human health. Today, attention is paid not only to food properties such as energy provision and palatability but also to functional aspects including phytochemical, antioxidant properties, etc. Massaman and spicy basil leaf curries are famous Thai food dishes with a good harmony of flavor and taste, derived from multiple herbs and spices, including galangal rhizomes, chili pods, garlic bulbs, peppers, shallots, and coriander seeds, that provide an array of health benefits. The characterization of phytochemicals detected by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS identified 99 components (Masaman) and 62 components (spicy basil leaf curry) such as quininic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, luteolin, kaempferol, catechin, eugenol, betulinic acid, and gingerol. The cynaroside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside found in spicy basil leaf curry play a key role in antioxidant activities and were found at a significantly higher concentration than in Massaman curry. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds generally exhibit a bitter and astringent taste, but all the panelists scored both curries higher than 7 out of 9, confirming their acceptable flavor. Results suggest that the Massaman and spicy basil leaves contain various phytochemicals at different levels and may be further used as functional ingredients and nutraceutical products.

All living organisms undergo molecular damage by free radical products. Disrupting the balance between antioxidants and free radicals leads to greater risks of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer. Consumption of curries containing various herbs and spices provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits which promote health. The antioxidant and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory properties of six popular Thai curries, including green curry (G), Panang curry (P), Massaman curry (M), spicy basil leaf curry (SB), southern sour curry (SS), and southern spicy yellow curry (SY) were determined. All six curries contained phenolic and flavonoid compounds and provided antioxidant activity based on electron transfer and hydrogen atom donor properties, as well as having the ability to reduce oxidized metal. The highest antioxidant value was found in SB, followed by M, SS, and SY. The replacement of sugar with dried stevia powder at 50% (Re) improved antioxidant activity. The ORAC assay provided five times higher results than DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. Extracts of all curries at 1 mg/mL on the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 showed no cytotoxicity. The highest NO inhibition was found in SB (p < 0.05). All curry extracts contained quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin. The six selected popular Thai curries had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Nutraceuticals, functional foods, and the ingredients of each raw material and curry powder should be further investigated.