Determinação de polifenóis totais e flavonoides em Eugenia uniflora l. (PITANGA): fruto in natura, polpa congelada e geleia / Determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids in Eugenia uniflora l. (surinam cherry): fresh fruit, frozen pulp and jelly

Abstract

Functional foods have bioactive substances, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which are responsible for the antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables and that can contribute in benefit to human health. The pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) is a fruit whose pulp can be used in the production of jellies, ice cream and juices, constituting an alternative for consumption even in the off-season periods. The present study aimed to compare the flavonoid content in different pitanga presentations, in order to detect possible changes according to processing, in addition to expanding the options of functional foods in Brazil and contributing to public policies for the dissemination and valorization of regional foods. For the determination of total phenolic compounds the Folin-Ciocalteu method was used with gallic acid as standard through spectrophotometric analysis. The flavonoids were expressed in mg of rutin in 100g of sample. The three presentations did not obtain statistically significant difference regarding total phenolic compounds. The jelly presented the highest content of total flavonoids (35.7 ± 0.4 mg rutin/100g) when compared to the other presentations, indicating that this fruit represents an alternative for the consumption of flavonoids, even when frozen or submitted to thermal action.

Physicochemical Aspects, Bioactive Compounds, Phenolic Profile and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Tropical Red Fruits and Their Blend

“…In the content of total phenolic compounds (TPC), the acerola pulp stood out from the others with a high content greater than 500 mg/100 g, and the guava and pitanga pulps presented medium contents of TPC between 100 and 500 mg EAG/100 g [ 38 ], resulting in a blend also with a high TPC content. Higher TPC contents than pitanga pulp were quantified by Silva et al [ 39 ] for pitanga in natura (199.7 mg EAG/100 g) and pitanga pulp (219.7 mg EAG/100 g) and by Helt et al [ 37 ], who verified levels of 435.3 mg EAG/100 g in orange pitanga and 1318.0 mg EAG/100 g in red pitanga. Variations in the TPC content for acerola pulp were also observed by Stafussa et al [ 40 ], who presented a content of 13890.90 mg EAG/100 g, and by Fernandes et al [ 41 ], who observed a content of 735 mg EAG/100 g in acerola juice.…”

“…In total flavonoids (TF), all samples differed statistically from each other ( p < 0.05), with acerola showing the highest content (12.64 mg/100 g), followed by the blend (8.22 mg/100 g), favored by the high content provided by acerola, presenting twice the value determined in pitanga (4.05 mg/100 g) and approximately four times that of guava (1.91 mg/100 g). Higher levels of TF were quantified by Silva et al [ 39 ] in samples of pitanga in natura with a value of 28.7 mg/100 g, in frozen pitanga pulp with a value of 28.0 mg/100 g, and in pitanga jelly with a value of 35.7 mg/100 g; by Omayio et al [ 42 ], who reported values ranging from 188.25 to 250.66 mg/100 g for three different varieties of guavas produced in Kenya; and by Matos et al [ 31 ], who determined a value of 16.16 mg/100 g in acerola pulp. Flavonoids are antioxidants and have antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and antiviral effects [ 44 ].…”