Composition, content of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of fruit pulps from the Brazilian Amazon biome

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical composition, the bioactive compounds, and the total antioxidant activity of the fruit pulps of abiu (Pouteria caimito), achachairu (Garcinia humilis), araza (Eugenia stipitata), bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi), and yellow mangosteen (Garcinia xanthochymus) from the Brazilian Amazon biome. Total soluble solid content, total and reducing sugar contents, titratable acidity contents, pH, ascorbic acid content, moisture, protein, lipid, ash, and caloric value were determined. The contents of total anthocyanins, yellow flavonoids, and total carotenoids, besides total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, were also evaluated. The abiu pulp showed the highest contents of ash, total sugars, reducing sugars, total soluble solids, calorie value, and pH, among the analyzed fruits. The achachairu pulp showed the highest content of total phenolic compounds, with significant antioxidant activity, while the araza pulp had the highest total carotenoid content, and the yellow mangosteen, the highest yellow flavonoid content. The positive correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds suggests that these compounds are the most important for determining antioxidant activity in the evaluated fruit pulps.