Vitamin C, carotenoids, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of guava, mango and papaya from Ceasa of Minas Gerais State - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v33i1.8052

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the content of antioxidant compounds (ascorbic acid - AA, dehydroascorbic acid - DHA, total vitamin C, lycopene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and phenolic compounds) and to evaluate the antioxidant activity in guava, mango and papaya. The analysis of carotenoids and vitamin C was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The content of phenolic compounds was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and spectrophotometric reading. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by testing the 2.2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH•) and reducing power. ANOVA was used for data analysis (α = 0.05). The levels of antioxidant constituents differed among the three fruits; guava was the fruit that had the highest levels of phenolic compounds, total vitamin C, lycopene and DHA, and the highest values for antioxidant activity. There was a strong correlation between tests that evaluated antioxidant activity and the content of phenolic compounds, demonstrating that these are the main antioxidant compounds to contribute to antioxidant activity of fruits examined in both tests. It is important to encourage the use of fruits evaluated in this study, both at home and in food service establishments, in order to increase the intake of natural antioxidants by the population.