## 4 Discussion  
### The Analysis of the Antioxidant Properties of Flower Extracts  
Flowers are often considered only as a decorative element for meals, but in fact they have been consumed in Europe for over 500 years [8; 10]. The popularity of their consumption keeps increasing thanks to the results of studies that confirm the presence of biologically active compounds and minerals within them, which have a positive influence on health [9]. Edible plants also include red and white clover plants. The role of polyphenols as protective dietary constituents with their antioxidant potential has also become an increasingly important area of research [27]. Long-term diets rich in plant polyphenols protect against chronic illnesses with a free radical basis, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer [28]. Our studies revealed that extracts from both clovers are characterised by antioxidant properties. In the case of _Trifolium pratense_, the percentage of DPPH inhibition was 4.48 \(\pm\) 0.21%, whereas for _T. repens_ the value was 3.86 \(\pm\) 0.16%. The reductive potential measured by FRAP was 100.20 \(\pm\) 4.96 uM Fe(II)/L for the extract acquired from the red clover, and 88.71 \(\pm\) 3.16 uM Fe(II)/L for the white clover flower extract. Polyphenol content for _T. pratense_ was 19.20 \(\pm\) 0.71 mg/L GAE, whereas the value for _T. repens_ was 14.29 \(\pm\) 1.19 mg/L GAE. Both the antioxidant potential as well as polyphenol content were higher for the red clover, as demonstrated by the statistical analysis for all parameters tested (_p_ < 0.05), which suggests that it is more effective in comparison to the white clover. However, these differences are not large so the white clover can also serve as a valuable yet unappreciated source of antioxidants. The results of our study are similar to those of other authors who demonstrated that the antioxidant properties of the clover are associated with its biochemical content and the high concentration of polyphenol compounds. These studies mainly concern the red clover [6; 8]. Isoflavones are a group of flavonoids typical of some Leguminosae family only. In addition, in the case of isoflavues such as genistein and daidzein, their antioxidant activity, which may be of physiological importance, has also been reported. Both the red clover and the white clover are sources of flavonoids, which belong to the group of polyphenols, such as quercetin, rutin, kaemberol and trifolin [29; 30; 31; 32]. The antioxidants content in the white clover flower extract were highest for kaemberfool-3 (caffeoyldiglucoside)-7-glucoside (983.7 \(\mu\)g/mL), followed by _p_-coumaroyl-4-glucoside (905.6 \(\mu\)g/mL) and daidzein-O-sulfate (808.3 \(\mu\)g/mL) [33]. Large amounts of glycosyl and glycosyl malonate derivative of flavones (quercetin in leaves, quercetin and kaemberfool in flowers), quercetin galactoside and its acetyl derivative, together with lower content of myricetin galactoside and isoflavues (biochanin A, formononentin in leaves and flowers) were detected in red clover [34; 35]. [PERSON] et al. [36] demonstrated that methanol extracts at the growth phases (30 cm, 50 cm, bud) of the red clover contain rutin (0.157 \(\mu\)g/g\({}^{-1}\) dry mass), which belongs to the group of flavonoids and which is characterised by antioxidant properties. _Trifolium pratense_ extracts were characterised by a reductive potential in the range from 376.90 mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g to 411.40 mg AAE/g of dry mass extract depending on the plant's development stage [36]. The study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [37] revealed that the content of flavonoids in callus tissue of red clover was from 6.11 to 26.61 mg of rutin equivalents (CTE)/g dry mass. [PERSON] et al. [7] studied the antioxidant potential of flower extracts acquired from the red clover and the white clover originating from Calabria (Italy). The reductive activity of antioxidants (FRAP) in the white clover (_T. repens_) was equal to 44.2 \(\mu\)M Fe(II)/g while no activity was detected for _Trifolium pratense_. _T.