Comparative Studies of Antioxidant Activities and Nutritional Constituents of Persimmon Juice (Diospyros kaki L. cv. Gapjubaekmok)

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to evaluate antioxidant activities and nutritional components, including phenolic acid, catechin, organic acid, sugar, and amino acid, of persimmon juice from persimmons grown in different regions around Korea. Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) exhibits potent antioxidant effects in DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and FRAP methods of analysis. The levels of nutritional constituents showed significant differences among all the samples. In particular, tartaric acid, glucose, gallic acid, epicatechin gallate and aspartic acid were observed to be the predominant component for each of their general chemical groups, with total average contents of 1876.51 mg/kg, 62.69 g/kg, 12.73 mg/kg, 208.99 mg/kg, and 31.84 mg/100 g, respectively. Interestingly, persimmons from the Hadong region presented the highest sugar (130.60 g/kg), phenolic acid (42.27 mg/kg), and catechin (527.97 mg/kg) contents in comparison with other regional samples. Moreover, this location exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity with highest total phenolic (298.01 mg GAE/kg) and flavonoid (32.11 mg/kg RE) contents. Our results suggest that strong antioxidant activities of persimmons correlate with high phenolic acid and catechin contents, particularly gallic acid and epicatechin gallate. Additionally, these two compounds may be key factors when considering the useful ingredients of persimmon.

Quality Characteristics of ‘Dongchul’ Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Fruit Grown in Gangwondo, Korea

“…Results of this study for free sugar content are similar to those reported in previous studies (Lee et al, 2012;Veberic et al, 2010). Changes in fruit color are closely related to an increase in sugars and a decrease in firmness.…”

“…The contents of these two amino acids were not much different to those found in the present study, and slight variation in their content might be due to the genotype. Lee et al (2012) andVerberic et al (2010) reported similar values, except for succinic acid, which they did not detect in the fruit juice of 11 persimmon cultivars. Earlier studies have shown that organic acids and sugars are associated with the aroma and sensation of sweetness in various fruits (Colaric et al, 2005) and are responsible for retaining the quality and nutritional value in food products (Ashoor and Knox, 1982).…”

“…Celik and Ercisli (2008) also found higher concentration of potassium in the persimmon fruit compared with other elements. In a study of Lee et al (2012), the amounts of aspartic and glutamic acids were the highest among seventeen detected amino acids. The contents of these two amino acids were not much different to those found in the present study, and slight variation in their content might be due to the genotype.…”

Prunus mahaleb L. fruit extracts: a novel source for natural food pigments

“…However, several references on the organic acid content of Prunus fruit indicated malic acid as the dominant organic acid contributing to the acidity of cherry, peach and apricot fruits [40,58]. It is known that tartaric acid is effective for treatment of dry skin and that fruit rich in tartaric acid is of value for skin health, while organic acids have a protective function against fruit disease due to their antioxidant activity [60]. In addition, it is known that organic acids and sugars are associated with the organoleptic properties of fruits and that the sugar/acid ratio influences the perception of sweetness.…”

Phyto- and Bio-Chemical evaluation of Diospyros kaki L. cultivated in Egypt and its biological activities

“…Diospyros kaki, which is native to China, is now known world-wide in tropics and subtropics (Singh and Joshi, 2011). In recent years, it has been favored as tea for healthcare in Southeast Asia for its beneficial effects on homeostasis, hypertension, apoplexy, and atherosclerosis (Lee et al, 2012). As well as, the anti-diabetic, antigenotoxic and neuroprotective activities (Taylor and Hill, 2004;Bei et al, 2007).…”