## 3 Results and Discussion
For this purpose, however, further research is required, due to the need to standardize the methods of producing black garlic, because both pH and a\({}^{\text{w}}\) reach different values depending on the temperature, humidity, and time of heat treatment. Content of total polyphenols, selected phenolic compounds (phenolic acids and flavonoids) and antioxidant activity of fresh and black garlic from conventional and organic cultivation are shown in Table 2. The tested garlic samples showed a significant (\(p<0.05\)) differentiation in the content of total polyphenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, as well as in the antioxidant activity. The average content of total polyphenols in fresh garlic was 6.45 \(\pm\) 0.87 mg GAE/g d.m., and the applied heat treatment processes caused a significant (\(p<0.05\)) increase in the content of these components in black garlic (on average \(13.80\pm 1.36\) mg GAE/g d.m.). The results of our own research are similar to the results of other authors who obtained a significant increase in the content of polyphenic compounds under the influence of the aging processes of garlic [40; 41; 43; 45; 70]. [PERSON] et al. [43] showed approximately a threefold increase in the total content of total polyphenols in fermented (at different times and at different temperatures) heads of black garlic (3.86-16.32 mg GAE/g d.m.) as compared with fresh garlic (5.13 mg GAE/g d.m. ), and in fermented (under the same conditions) cloves of garlic up to a sixfold increase in the content of these bioactive compounds, (3.11-18.77 mg GAE/g d.m.) as compared with fresh garlic cloves (3.20 mg GAE/g d.m.). Similar changes were previously reported by [PERSON] et al. [45], who noted a 4-10-fold increase in the content of total polyphenols at different temperatures, humidity levels and heat treatment time. In this study, on average, more than a twofold increase in the content of total polyphenols in black garlic was observed. The differences in the content of these bioactive compounds in comparison with the studies of other authors certainly result from the conditions of the applied heat treatment (time, temperature, and humidity). As reported in the literature, the content of total polyphenols tested as a function of time changes very dynamically, i.e., it increases intensively until the 21 st day of heat treatment, and then it may remain constant or still increase, but to a lesser extent [40]. The increase in the total content of free phenolic compounds during heat treatment is probably due to their easier release from the bound (esterified and glycosylated) forms under the influence of high temperature [45; 71; 72]. The further increase in the polyphenol content is most likely due to the constantly increasing levels of complex phenolic compounds formed as a result of the later phases of the browning reaction [73]. In the available literature there are insufficient comparative data on the effect of cultivation conditions in the conventional and ecological systems on the content of bioactive components (total polyphenols, phenolic acids, or flavonoids) and on the antioxidant activity in fermented black garlic. According to our research, the total content of total polyphenols in fresh organic garlic (GREcol) was on average 7.28 \(\pm\) 0.04 mg GAE/g d.m. and was significantly higher (almost 23%) than in conventional garlic (GR). The applied heat treatment of garlic contributed to a significant increase in the content of these bioactive compounds (2.2 times for BG and 2.1 times for BGEcol), making the latter the product with the highest total of the total polyphenols (15.10 \(\pm\) 0.14 mg GAE/g d.m.). The tested garlic was characterized by a high content of phenolic acids (on average \(44.29\pm 6.16\) mg/100 g d.m. ), which increased significantly during the applied heat treatment (65.23 \(\pm\) 11.25 mg/100 d.m.). As in the case of the total polyphenols, the sum of phenolic acids in GREcol (49.91 \(\pm\) 0.05 mg/100 g d.m.) was significantly (\(p<\) 0.05) higher (by about 26%) than in GR.