Carotenoid Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts From Tropical Fruits

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the carotenoid composition, as well as the antioxidant activity of carotenoid extracts of fruits from Yucatan, Mexico. Among the fruits evaluated, the mamey sapote (36.41 mg of b-carotene/100 g of edible portion) obtained the highest total carotenoids content, while the red mombin, green sugar apple, green-yellow mombin, yellow cashew, purple sugar apple and green nance showed greater antioxidant activity of carotenoids extract using the ABTS assay. When the antioxidant activity of the carotenoid extracts was measured with the DPPH assay, the edible portion of the green nance was found to have the highest antioxidant activity. Four carotenoids (two xanthophyll’s and two carotenes) were identified in the fruits. The mamoncillo, red cashew and yellow cashew obtained high values of retinol equivalents (1,266-2,908 mg/100 g of edible portion). Lutein and b-cryptoxanthin contents showed a positive correlation with antioxidant activity by ABTS (R=0.41 and R=0.31, respectively). The results indicate a perspective for the exploitation and use of these tropical fruits in the diet, given their antioxidant activity with beneficial in human health.