COMPARISON OF THE TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT, TOTAL ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF POLYPHENOL-RICH FRUITS GROWN IN CHILE

Abstract

In the last 10 years, interest in research on polyphenol-rich fruit species has increased due to the potential health benefits of these species, mainly attributed to their high anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity. Six polyphenol-rich fruit species (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranates and maqui berries) were harvested at the same maturity stage during the same growing season and were compared according to their total phenolic (Folin-Ciocalteu method) and total anthocyanin (pH differential method) contents and antioxidant activity using ferricreducing antioxidant power (FRAP assay) and 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity methods. With the results of this study, the polyphenolic status of the main polyphenol-rich fruit species that are grown in Chile were compared, and maqui berry showed the highest total phenolic (14.6 g gallic acid equivalent kg-1 of fresh weight [g GAE kg-1 FW]), total anthocyanin (9.3 g cyanidin-3-glu kg-1 of fresh weight [g cy-3-glu kg-1 FW]) contents, and antioxidant activity (152.0 mmol Fe2+ kg-1 of fresh weight [mmol Fe2+ kg-1 FW] and 1.5 mg of fresh weight [FW]) with significant differences from the other fruit species that were analyzed. Nevertheless, bioavailability studies to test the benefits of the species' dietary antioxidants should be performed in order to establish scientific evidence in this area.