Abstract—The Department of Agriculture (DOA), Sri Lanka has given priorities to identify new leafy vegetable varieties with high yielding capacity and superior in nutritional quality. As a part of this activity, yield potential, nutritional values and antioxidant properties of some promising accessions of Amaranthus tricolor were studied with the aim of selecting better varieties. Experiments were carried out using three new accessions; ‘DOA Red’, ‘Pure green’ and ‘Diyapalagoda’ along with the recommended variety, ‘DOA green’. Yield potential was determined through growth and yield parameters. Comparison of leaf protein levels was done by Kjeldahl method. Carotenoid, anthocyanin, chlorophyll levels and the antioxidant activity of the leaves of four accessions was determined by UV-spectrophotometry. Postharvest keeping quality among accessions was compared under three storage condition: cut stem ends dipped in water and stored under ambient conditions, packaged in Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film and stored under ambient conditions, packaged in LDPE and stored under 10°C and 90% RH. Shelf life was determined using visual quality. ‘  DOA Red  ’ contained higher amount of chlorophyll, anthocyanin and the greatest antioxidant activity. ‘D OA green ’ and ‘DOA Red’ contained relatively higher percentage of crude protein. ‘DOA Red’ exhibited significantly longer shelf life under all three storage conditions. Polyethylene film packa ging, combined with low temperature storage extended the keeping quality by 4.8 – 8 fold in A. tricolor. ‘Pure green’ exhibited higher growth and yield performance and wider adaptability, hence it could be recommended for commercial cultivation. 

Index Terms—Amaranthus, antioxidant, leafy vegetables, shelf life.

P. Malathy, W. D. G. P. Nilanthi, and K. B. Wahundeniya are with the Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute, Department of Agriculture, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 20400 (e-mail: mpmalathy@yahoo.com, wdgpnilanthi@yahoo.com, bandarawahundeniya@yahoo.com).
D. D. Suraweera and W. A. M. Daundasekara are with the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 20400 (e-mail: dilsuraweera@gmail.com, malkanthid@pdn.ac.lk).

Cite: P. Malathy, D. D. Suraweera, W. A. M. Daundasekara, W. D. G. P. Nilanthi, and K. B. Wahundeniya, "Yield, Keeping Quality, Antioxidant Content and Some Nutritional Aspects of Selected Accessions of Amaranthus Tricolor," International Journal of Bioscience, Biochemistry and Bioinformatics vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 324-328, 2012.