Abstract
Consuming food that is rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases and oxidative stress. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of substances with antioxidant and pro-health properties. Such raw materials, characterized by a high content of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity, include pear fruits. In this study, the concentrations of bioactive compounds, as well as the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity in fruits of five selected pear cultivars were determined and compared. LC–MS and UPLC–PDA methods were used to determine the polyphenolic, carotenoid, chlorophyll, and triterpenoid profiles and content, and the antioxidant activity was analyzed using DPPH and ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) tests. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined against COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. The cytotoxic activity of the test compounds was assessed against six tumor cell lines. The results showed that the major group of phenolic compounds in all cultivars was phenolic acids. In the group of chromoplastic pigments, chlorophyllide a and 9-cis-β-carotene were the major compounds, while in the triterpene group, ursolic acid was dominant. The antioxidant potential correlated with the content of polyphenols and carotenoids, and was the strongest for the ‘Radana’ cultivar. The highest antiproliferative activity in all varieties was established for bladder cancer.
Highlights
In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the impact of food on the human body.The development of chronic diseases, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer is positively correlated with oxidative stress [1]
Our results suggest that the antioxidant capacity was related to the presence of phenolic compounds
Despite the high variability between the tested cultivars, in terms of both the quality and the content of bioactive compounds, it should be stated that the consumption of European pear fruit could be beneficial to the health of the consumer due to their health-promoting properties
Summary
The development of chronic diseases, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer is positively correlated with oxidative stress [1]. That is, the imbalance of antioxidants and prooxidants in favor of prooxidants, is caused by high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reactive oxygen species react with cellular components, causing modifications and damaging them. Epidemiological studies provide evidence that consuming food that is rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases and oxidative stress [2]. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of substances with antioxidant and pro-health properties. Such substances include polyphenols, carotenoids, and triterpenoids. Phenolic compounds possess strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic properties [3,4]
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