Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Total Phenolic Compounds Content and Antioxidant Activity of Indigenous Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem. Fruits

Dan Razvan Popoviciu,Bogdan-Stefan Negreanu-Pirjol,Ludmila Motelica,Ticuta Negreanu-Pirjol

doi:10.37358/rc.20.4.8064

Abstract

Scarlet/red firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem., is a common ornamental shrub, commonly cultivated nowadays in Romania and many other countries, in gardens or hedges. The tree has small white flowers and it produces small bright colored berries. The fruit is bitter and astringent, making it inedible when raw. The fruit can be cooked to make jellies, jams, sauces and marmalade. In this study, the Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem fruits from three common cultivars named �Orange Glow�, �Red Column� and �Soleil d�Or�, were collected from different individuals in Constanta city, Romania. Both frozen and dried (80�C) fruits were analyzed for the active principles content such as, carotenoids, flavonoids and total phenolic compounds correlated with antioxidant activity. Carotenoids were determined by acetone extraction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, flavonoids, by methanol extraction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and total phenolic, by methanol extraction, Folin-Ciocalteu reaction and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The total antioxidant capacity was quantified through photochemiluminescence method by comparison with the standard substance used for calibration, Trolox� as tocopherol analogue (ACL procedure) using Photochem apparatus, Analytik Jena AG, Germany. The average carotenoid content in fresh frozen fruits ranged between 278-545 mg/kg (dry weight equivalent), while in dry material 133-203 mg/kg. Total flavonoids averaged 1415-4953 mg/kg in fresh fruits, increasing after heat-drying to 2981-5759 mg/kg. Fresh fruits contained a total amount of phenolic compounds of 11501-21107 mg/kg DW gallic acid equivalent, while dry fruits averaged 5749-8261 mg/kg GAE. Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem. fruits emphasized an increased antioxidant activity correlated with a high content of potentially bioactive compounds, especially of phenolic compounds, both in frozen and heat-dried state. �Red Column� and �Orange Glow� are the most promising varieties of the three cultivars, for potential pharmaceutical applications.

Highlights

Pyracantha is a genus belonging to the Rosaceae family (Amygdaloideae subfamily, Maleae tribe), with several species and hybrids distributed throughout Eurasia
The three most common ornamental cultivars found in Romania, were analyzed: „Orange Glow”, „Red Column” and „Soleil d’Or”, Figure 1
Fruits pulp tissue was analyzed for total carotenoids, flavonoids and total phenolic content correlated with antioxidant activity, in triplicate samples for each determination a b c

Summary

Introduction

Pyracantha (firethorn) is a genus belonging to the Rosaceae family (Amygdaloideae subfamily, Maleae tribe), with several species and hybrids distributed throughout Eurasia. Similar to Cotoneaster pyracantha (L.) Spach, but thorny, some of its species are cultivated as ornamental plants, for gardens, parks or hedges. (Scarlet firethorn) is the only one native to Western Eurasia (Anatolia, Crimea, Caucasus and Southern Europe) and is cultivated in Romania. It is an evergreen shrub, up to 3 m high, with multiple trunks and sharp leafless thorns, distributed throughout the stem and branches. Fruits ripen in September; they are small (5-7) mm, globosely pomes. Mature pomes can have various shades of yellow, orange or red, depending on the variety/cultivar. In Romania, several cultivars are majority grown for ornamental purposes

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