SCREENING OF Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi FRUIT BY ACCESS OF ITS FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL CAPACITY AND METAL CONTENT

Abstract

Fruits of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi were investigated. A fast and efficient method for the simultaneous determination of 11 polyphenolic substances by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) was applied. Limits of quantification ranged between 0.78 and 3.14 mg L−1. High concentrations of kaempferol were found. An exploratory evaluation was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) for fruit origin differentiation. Total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 274 to 517 mg GAE 100 g−1; total flavonoid content (TFC) ranged from 101 to 283 mg QE 100 g−1. In vitro analyses showed that antioxidant capacity with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) ranged from 1.7 to 7 µM DPPH 100 g-1. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect were also evaluated against: Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis, Candida albicans and C. glabrata, using broth microdilution assay. It can be inferred that S. terebinthifolia Raddi fruit has the potential to act as an ally in the search for new alternatives in the action against pathogens, and it can be used as a potential natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. Metals (Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn) were also determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), with emphasis on high concentrations of Mg, Zn and Fe.