Carotenoids and Phenolic Compounds from Solanum sessiliflorum, an Unexploited Amazonian Fruit, and Their Scavenging Capacities against Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species

Abstract

The composition of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from mana-cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum), a fruit native to Amazonia, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-DAD-MS(n)). The antioxidant capacities of the hydrophilic and carotenoid extracts against some reactive oxygen (ROO(•), H(2)O(2), HOCl, and HO(•)) and nitrogen (ONOO(-)) species were also determined. Seventeen carotenoids and three phenolic compounds were found in mana-cubiu. The major carotenoids were (all-E)-β-carotene (7.15 μg/g of dry weight) and (all-E)-lutein (2.41 μg/g of dry weight). The 5-caffeoylquinic acid (1351 μg/g of dry weight) was the major phenolic compound, representing more than 78% (w/w) of the total phenolic compounds. Moreover, two dihydrocaffeoyl spermidines were found in the hydrophilic extract. Both mana-cubiu extracts were able to scavenge all the tested reactive species. The carotenoid extract was shown to be a potent scavenger of peroxyl radical, while the hydrophilic extract was a potent hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid scavenger.