# Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects Induced by
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Phytochemical Analyses
#### 3.1.3. Colorimetric Analysis  
The color parameters and relative reflectance curves of the analyzed samples are shown in Table 4 and Figure 4.  
As reported in our previous work [22], the garlic powder analyzed at t\({}^{\circ}\) has a very bright color tending to pale yellow (L* = 90.15 and b* = 16.02) that, after eight months of storage, seemed to fade slightly (L* \(\approx\) 94 vs. 90 at t\({}^{0}\), b* \(\approx\) 14 vs. 16 at t\({}^{0}\), with a \(\Delta\)E \(\approx\) 2, data previously reported). In this study, the analyses performed at t\({}^{\text{12m}}\), showed a substantial change in color (\(\Delta\)E = 12.34), characterized by a strong darkening of the powder (L* \(\approx\) 78; b* \(\approx\) 20), as also shown by the lowering of the reflectance curve reported in Figure 4. The initial light bleaching and subsequent browning were already described in milk powder samples in [PERSON] and collaborators (2015) [42], and interpreted as carotenoid degradation followed by Maillard reaction. In the case of garlic, bleaching was not previously described. Nevertheless, the presence of carotenoids in _Allium_ spp. phytocomplex was reported in the literature [43] and the carotenoid bleaching seems the simplest hypothesis, despite all our attempts to extract a carotenoid fraction by organic solvents failed. Therefore, the slight bleaching should be attributed to other yellow, hydrosoluble, components. On the other hand, the powder darkening could be mainly due to the different sulfur components (the presence of many different sulfur compounds was confirmed by HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis (see Section 3.1.2)) which, modifying the pH and the activity of polyphenol oxidases, with a not completely known mechanism depending on the state of preservation and on the temperature, cause darkening of the matrix [44; 45].  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & L* & a* & b* & c* & h* & DE* \\ \hline
**GP t\({}^{\circ}\)** & 90.15 & 0.47 & 16.02 & 16.03 & 88.32 & - \\ \hline
**GP t\({}^{\text{12m}}\)** & 78.55 & 1.11 & 20.17 & 20.20 & 86.85 & 12.34 a ** \\ \hline
**GWE t\({}^{\text{12m}}\)** & 76.41 & \(-\)1.10 & 16.83 & 16.87 & 93.74 & 13.85 a ** \\ \hline
**GWE t\({}^{\text{12m}}\)** & 65.00 & \(-\)2.87 & 28.00 & 27.95 & 95.90 & 28.06 a ** \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Reported values represent the mean of four measurements. Mean error \(<\)2%. AE represents the overall color variation, \({}^{\text{a}}\) using GP t\({}^{\circ}\) as reference, and b using GWE t\({}^{\circ}\) as reference \(\Delta\)E = [[(L*{}_{2}\)-L*\({}_{1}\)]\({}^{2}\) + (a*{}_{2}\)-a*\({}_{1}\)]\({}^{2}\) + (b*{}_{2}\)-b*\({}_{1}\)]\({}^{2}\)[ENDFOOTNOTE]  
\end{table}
Table 4: Colorimetric CIEL*a*b* parameters of garlic powder (GP) and garlic water extract (GWE).  
Figure 4: Reflectance curves of the analyzed garlic samples.  
This darkening is also confirmed in the aqueous extract newly prepared and analyzed after 12 months (see Figure 4). In fact, the L* parameter of GWE t\({}^{\circ}\) decreases significantly from 76 to 65, as well as the b* parameter increases even more, from 17 to 28, denoting altogether a strong color change characterized by a substantial browning with respect to the starting points (\(\Delta\)E = 28 respect to G\({}_{\rm P}\) t\({}^{\circ}\) and \(\Delta\)E = 16 respect to GWE t\({}^{\circ}\)).