The bioactive constituents and antioxidant activities of ten selected Brazilian Cerrado fruits

Abstract

Fruit represents a major dietary source of antioxidant molecules that are important for health. We measured the total levels of phenolic, anthocyanin, carotenoid, and tocopherol compounds, and vitamin C in ten fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado: araçá-boi, bacaba, bacupari, biribá, cajuí, curriola, marmelada-espinho, mirindiba, murici, and puçá-preto. Five extracts were prepared from each fruit using solvents with different polarities. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and inhibition of β-carotene bleaching were determined for each extract. Scott-Knott test and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the analyzed fruits were rich sources of different classes of bioactive compounds, with levels comparable to those in commonly consumed fruits such as plums, oranges, guavas, rosehips, and various berries and citrus fruits. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of bacupari, biribá, cajuí, curriola, marmelada-espinho, and mirindiba. Moreover, mirindiba was found to be a rich source of vitamin C and phenolics, with an average level of carotenoids and tocopherols; this enabled “super fruit” classification of mirindiba, along with acerola and camu-camu.