Antioxidant Potential of Polyphenols from Colombian Melicoccus Bijugatus fruit

Applications related to tropical fruits call the attention of research groups worldwide. Ethnobotanical information on Melicoccus bijugatus comes mainly from the Orinoco region (covering Colombia and Venezuela). In Venezuela, roasted seeds are powdered and mixed with honey for anti-diarrhea syrup or tea or for dietary purposes. Indigenous people in the Orinoco used them in flour to make bread. In Nicaragua, seed milk, or "horchata," is used to treat parasites. Roasted seeds appear to reduce their toxicity and improve digestibility; other parts of the fruit also have biological and medical purposes. This work focused on quantifying phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in Melicoccus bijugatus. Total polyphenol content in M. bijugatus matrices was determined spectrophotometrically following the Folin-Ciocalteu reaction. The total flavonoid content in different parts of the fruit was evaluated with the aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. The DPPH assay for radical scavenging was used to quantify antioxidant activity. Antioxidant capacity was highest in pulp, followed by lower values in pericarp, seed, and peel. Results here suggest that a higher amount of polyphenols in a matrix does not necessarily provide a higher antioxidant capacity. Further studies are recommended to test other potential nutritional and biological activities in the edible and non-edible parts of the fruit.