Evolution of antioxidant compounds of nutraceutical value during fruit growth and ripening of the native Patagonian plant Berberis buxifolia

ARENA, MIRIAM; POSTEMSKY, PABLO; CURVETTO, NÉSTOR

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2010

0022-1147

The evolution of anthocyanin, flavonoid and phenol contents as well as antioxidant activity during the growth and ripening of Berberis buxifolia fruits by spectrophotometric methods were studied. Anthocyanin content markedly increased during the ripening period until the end of the fruiting period (752.7 mg/100 g fresh fruit weight). Flavonoid content was maximum at the beginning of the ripening period (604.0 mg (+)- catequin equivalents/100 g fresh fruit) and abruptly decreased during the second and third phases of fruit growth. Total phenolic compounds was high at the beginning of ripening, i.e. 968.1 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh fruit weight, then decreased to a minimum of 746.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh fruit weight just when soluble solids started to accumulate. Phenol content began to increase again to a maximum of 1522.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g fresh fruit weight at the end of ripening. The DPPH* scavenging effect and reducing power were maximum at the beginning of the ripening period and increased with methanolic extract concentration, reaching the highest values, i.e. 94.4% and 97.5%, at 0.5 and 5.0 mg/mL, respectively. The evolution of antioxidant compounds of nutraceutical value during fruit growth and ripening of B. buxifolia varied depending on the specific group considered, and could be correlated with the fruit quality characteristics. When comparing the antioxidant responses with widely used standard antioxidant substances and with other small fruit species, B. buxifolia fruit appeared to possess excellent antioxidant activity during the second and the third fruit growth phases, a property which greatly contributes to its functional value.