Assessment of antioxidant activity, minerals and chemical constituents of edible mahua (Madhuca longifolia) flower and fruit of using principal component analysis

Abstract

<jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>Flowers and fruits of <jats:italic>Madhuca longifolia</jats:italic> (Koenig) (mahua) tree are edible and used as traditional Indian medicines. The physicochemical properties of different parts of mahua are investigated. This study aims to estimate the different mineral contents, polyphenols compounds and antioxidant activities by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl inhibition, reducing power, free radical scavenging activity using 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays of mahua flower, ripe and unripe fruit.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>Flavonoids were identified and quantified in yellow flowers and fruits of <jats:italic>M. longifolia</jats:italic> tree by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. Low molecular weight carbohydrates were determined by the ICBio scan, a specific method for determining of carbohydrates. Mineral content is determined by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Physicochemical, nutritional and mineral properties of mahua flower, ripe and unripe fruit were investigated by the statistical approach of principal component analysis (PCA).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>Ascorbic acid, gallic acid (GA), quercetin and myrcetin were the phenolic compounds identified and quantified in mahua flower and fruit extracts. Sugar profiling of mahua flowers and fruits confirmed the presence of inositol, sorbitol, mannitol, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose and maltose. The mineral content of Na, K, Mg and Ca was present in quite a good amount in all samples. Total phenolic content (TPC) was significantly high in mahua flower (25.3 ± 1.0 mg GA equivalent/g FW) followed by mahua unripe (15.8 ± 1.0 mg GA equivalent/g FW) and ripe fruit (14.3 ± 1.0 mg GA equivalent/g FW) at <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> = 5%. In contrast, total flavonoid contents (TFCs) were highest in ripe fruit, then mahua flower and unripe fruit. Positive correlations were predicted by PCA for mahua flower with TPC, antioxidant activity assays and minerals except for Na; ripe fruit with TFC and Na; and unripe fruit with maltose and sorbitol.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>This study demonstrates the application of LIBS for the determination of elements present in the mahua flowers and fruits and reveals that mahua can be a good source of nutrients. Sugar profiling of mahua flower showed that it is a rich source of reducing and non-reducing sugar, proving that mahua flower juice can be used as a natural sweetener in the development of different food products, namely, biscuits, cookies, cake, jam, jelly, juice and squash.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

Profile of Bioactive Components and Antioxidant Activity of Aronia melanocarpa Fruits at Various Stages of Their Growth, Using Chemometric Methods

“…In the case of aronia fruits, which are not a rich source of vitamin C, the grouping is based on the content levels of chlorogenic acids and total polyphenols, and high results in the DPPH test. In methua fruit (Madhuca longifolia), which is primarily a source of flavonoids when ripe, clustering by the new variable PC into ripe and unripe fruit was also observed [39]. Similarly, Gomez et al [40] and Rajkumar et al [41] described the study of the Chinese variety of Satsuma mandarin (C. reticulata) and banana fruits, respectively, based on their degrees of ripeness, using PCA analysis.…”

Ethnomedicinal practices regarding curing of chronic fever among the tribes of North Chhattisgarh, India

“…Tannins [100] Faizi et al (2017) [101] Dar et al [102] Gautam et al (2015) [103] 23 [104] Singh et al (2020) [105] Mansuri and Yadav (2020) [106] 24 [107] Ghosh et al (2014) [108] 25 Hinglaaj…”

Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia (Roxb.) A.Chev: A plant with medicinal boon

“…The obtained values were 58.13 µg/ml for the bark extract and 47.56 µg/ml for ascorbic acid (8). The antioxidant activity of the aqueous acetone extract of flowers and fruits of the plant was also determined by the DPPH scavenging activity and it was evaluated that the DPPH activity of the flower (89.4±0.1) was higher than that of the fruits both ripe (88.2±1) and unripe (88.6±0.1) and it was reported that the antioxidant activity arises due to the amount of TPC (total phenolic content) and TFC (total flavonoid content) (9).…”