Antrocaryon amazonicum: An unexploited Amazonian fruit with high potential of scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Abstract

Antrocaryon amazonicum fruits are unexploited sources of bioactive compounds found in the Amazonia region of Brazil. In this study, for the first time, the carotenoid and phenolic compound profiles of the pulp and peel of A. amazonicum fruits, from two varieties at two harvest periods, were determined by LC-MS. Additionally, the potential of the peel and pulp extracts to scavenge physiologically relevant reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) was assessed. The major carotenoids in both parts of the fruits were lutein, accounting for ≈42% of the identified carotenoids in the peel and ≈25% in the pulp, whereas catechin and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives were the major phenolics in both parts. The peel extract, which presented the highest bioactive compound contents, was more efficient to scavenge ROS than the pulp.The peel extract showed high scavenging efficiency (IC 50 ) for singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ; 16 µg/ml), hypochlorous acid (HOCl; 20 µg/ml), peroxynitrite (ONOO -; 38 µg/ml), and superoxide radical (O 2•-; 47 µg/ml), whereas the pulp extract exhibited high efficiency for ONOO -(13 µg/ml), followed by HOCl (30 µg/ml), źO 2 (76 µg/ml), and less efficient for O 2 •-(44 µg/ml). Therefore, A. amazonicum fruits can be seen as an expressive source of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant potential to be further investigated to inhibit or delay oxidative processes both in food and physiological systems triggered by ROS and RNS. Practical Application: Bioactive compound extracts of Antrocaryon amazonicum fruits have high potential to be exploited for inhibiting or delaying oxidative processes and increase food stability.

Scavenging Capacity of Extracts of Arrabidaea chica Leaves from the Amazonia against ROS and RNS of Physiological and Food Relevance

“…The ethanol–water extract of A. chica leaves showed that the total phenolic compound contents were ≈10 times lower than that found in the hydromethanolic extract of the same plant (21.5 mg/g) [ 20 ]. By comparing extracts obtained from other vegetables, it showed lower values than the hydroalcoholic extract of artichoke leaves ( Cynara cardunculus ) (73 mg/g), similar to Eryngium foetidum (9.99 mg/g) [ 40 ] and higher than extracts obtained from the peel (5.4 mg/g) and pulp (1.8 mg/g) of Antrocaryon amazonicum fruits [ 41 ].…”