Agliconas de antocianinas e outros compostos fenólicos foram identificados na fruta acerola (Malpighia punicifolia, L). As antocianinas, os flavonóides e os ácidos fenólicos foram fracionados e caracterizados através de dados cromatográficos e espectrais. O teor de antocianinas na casca da acerola madura foi 37,5 mg . 100g -1 . Os pigmentos fenólicos identificados foram a pelargonidina, a malvidina 3,5-diglicosilada e a cianidina 3-glicosilada. Foram também identificados a quercetina, o kaempferol, e os ácidos p-cumárico, ferúlico, cafeico e clorogênico.Anthocyanin aglycons and other phenolic compounds were identified in acerola (Malpighia punicifolia, L.). Anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenolic acids were fractionated and characterized by means of chromatographic and spectral data. The total content of anthocyanin pigments was 37.5 mg per 100 g of ripe acerola skin. The phenolic pigments identified were pelargonidin, malvidin 3,5-diglycoside and cyanidin 3-glycoside. Quercetin, kaempferol and the phenolic acids p-coumaric acid, ferulic, caffeic and chlorogenic were also identified.Keywords: flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, acerola, Malpighia punicifolia L.
IntroductionPhenolic compounds are important for plant metabolism and have also becoming important for humans due to their health characteristics, particularly related to their antioxidant properties.
1Anthocyanins are one of the most attractive plant phenolic pigments of the group of flavonoids. Their visual impact allied to their health properties make them potentially useful as natural food colorants.One possible source of anthocyanin pigments is the fruit of acerola (Malpighia punicifolia, L.), a highly productive plant, which provides fruits during long periods of the year and is extensively cultivated in Brazil. The attractive red colour in acerola skin is mainly due to anthocyanins and the abundance of this fruit in Brazil represents a potential source of anthocyanin pigments.Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that occur ubiquitously in food of plant origin and more than 2000 chemically distinct flavonoids have been already reported.
2Phenolic compounds are also important because of their contribution to the sensory quality of fruits (colour and flavour, including astringency and bitterness) which may be affected during the technological processes used for production of juice and other derived products.3 In addition, anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds have been used successfully in the characterization of fruits and juices. 4 Due to the importance of flavonoids, many techniques have been used to identify and quantify these compounds. In the early 1990s, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with photodiode array detection was used to isolation and quantification. 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy are the most powerful techniques for determination of molecular structure. The coupling of HPLC and mass spectrometry methods, such as electrospray, thermospray, or fast-atom bombardment, have been widely used to provide molecular weigh...