Bioprospection of underutilized wild Cissus woodrowii fruits for nutritional value and characterization of green-extracted antioxidant phenolic compounds

Abstract

The nutritional value of underutilized wild C. woodrowii fruits was estimated, and a method for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) from fruits was established. Proximate analysis of fruits showed a calorific value of 168.86 kcal/100 g dry weight (DW). These fruits were found to be rich in macro- (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) and micro- (iron, manganese, zinc, and copper) mineral elements and vitamins (carotenoids and ascorbic acid). UAE was optimized with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) with three independent variables (ethanol concentration, temperature, and extraction time), each at three levels. The data was analyzed using response surface methodology (RSM). For UAE, the optimal combination for maximum recovery of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was 58.79% solvent concentration, 45 ºC temperature, and 15 min ultrasonication time. The extract made under these conditions had higher TPC and TFC contents of 46.01 mg TAE/g DW and 32.65 mg QE/g DW, respectively. Furthermore, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays of the extract showed higher %RSA of 97.26% and 95.78%, respectively. Characterization of a potent extract using liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) discovered the presence of 20 different phenolic compounds.