Evaluation of antioxidant activity and protein denaturation inhibition of selected underutilized fruits grown in Sri Lanka

摘要

Exploiting underutilized food crops may help to strengthen food security and opens new avenues for food and pharmaceutical industries, employment and novel research concepts. Methanolic extracts of seed, peel and the mesocarp of selected fruits were analysed for their antioxidant activities and protein denaturation inhibition properties. Among the studied fruits, mesocarp extract of Phyllanthus emblica showed significantly highest (p 0.05) levels of phenolics (1512.01 mg-kg(-1) , expressed as gallic acid equivalents), total antioxidant capacity (7.90 g-kg(-1), expressed as ascorbic acid equivalents) and reducing power (362.91 g-kg(-1), expressed as ascorbic acid equivalents). Mesocarp extracts of Elaeocatpus serratus and Phyllanthus emblica showed significantly higher flavonoids content comparatively. Among three Annona spp. studied, extracts of Annona squamosa showed significant antioxidant properties compared to the extracts of Annona reticulata and Annona muricata. Concentration-dependent inhibition of protein denaturation was observed in all fruit extracts. Except for the extracts of Phyllanthus emblica, all other fruit extracts showed above 50% protein denaturation inhibition potential at the concentration of 1.0 g-l(-1). In conclusion, the study evidenced that seed, peel and the mesocarp parts of studied locally available underutilized fruit crops showed significant antioxidant and protein denaturation inhibition properties.