Antioxidant Activities and Anthocyanin Content of Fresh Fruits of Common Fig (Ficus carica L.)

Abstract

Fig fruit has been a typical component in the health-promoting Mediterranean diet for millennia. To study the potential health-promoting constituents of fig fruits, six commercial fig varieties differing in color (black, red, yellow, and green) were analyzed for total polyphenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, and amount and profile of anthocyanins. Using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), various concentrations of anthocyanins but a similar profile was found in all varieties studied. Hydrolysis revealed cyanidin as the major aglycon. Proton and carbon NMR confirmed cyanidin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside (cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside; C3R) as the main anthocyanin in all fruits. Color appearance of fig extract correlated well with total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity. Extracts of darker varieties showed higher contents of phytochemicals compared to lighter colored varieties. Fruit skins contributed most of the above phytochemicals and antioxidant activity compared to the fruit pulp. Antioxidant capacity correlated well with the amounts of polyphenols and anthocyanins (R2 = 0.985 and 0.992, respectively). In the dark-colored Mission and the red Brown-Turkey varieties, the anthocyanin fraction contributed 36 and 28% of the total antioxidant capacity, respectively. C3R contributed 92% of the total antioxidant capacity of the anthocyanin fraction. Fruits of the Mission variety contained the highest levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins and exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity.

Effect of freezing and processing technologies on the antioxidant capacity of fruit pulp and jelly

“…In general, the products from fruit with higher intensity of red color (guava, grape, and strawberry) had higher antioxidant capacity (Table 1). This was in agreement with other studies suggesting that amongst all the common fruits and vegetables in the diet, those with dark blue or red colors have the highest antioxidant capacity (Liu et al 2002;Wu et al 2006;Solomon et al 2006;Çelik et al 2008). …”

“…The jelly was prepared with the skin, which contained healthful nutrients that should not be discarded. Solomon et al (2006) reported that fig fruit skin was a major source of anthocyanins and polyphenols. Strawberry pulp and strawberry jelly showed an initial antioxidant activity of 16.0 and 15.2 µmol/g (Fig.…”

Effect of dried California Mission figs on mineral status and food replacement

“…The reason for this difference could due to the different method they used, which is based on IC 50 (the concentration to inhibit the oxidation by 50 %). The same result was produced in the study of Solomon et al (15) , who used the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) test to measure total antioxidant capacity rather than FRAP. That study showed that figs had the highest levels of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity.…”

Ficus Carica and Its Constituents Role in Management of Diseases

“…The majority species of F. carica hold constituents such as phenolic compounds, organic acids, and volatile compounds [15,16]. Fruits constitute various valuable ingredients including cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-Orhamnoglucoside, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, insoluble sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron [17]. The study based on phytochemical analysis confirmed that the aqueous extract of ripe dried fruit contain alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, and terpenes [18,19].…”