Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Potential of Red Guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) from Southern Brazil in Different Edible Ripening Stages.

Abstract

Ripening and growing location are important factors that can impact fruit quality characteristics. In this study, the influence of these factors on physicochemical characteristics, carbohydrates, aliphatic organic acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of red guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) was evaluated. Fruit ripening increased fructose and glucose (up to 22.83 and 16.42g 100g- 1 dry matter (DM), respectively), and decreased citric acid, the major organic acid (up to 135.35 mg g- 1 DM). Ripening and growing location also influenced the concentration of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of red guava, in which a dependency between both factors was observed in most cases. Apigenin, galangin, isoquercitrin, among other phenolic compounds were quantified for the first time in red guava, in which isoquercitrin was the major (up to 13409.81mg kg- 1 DM). The antioxidant potential of red guava was also confirmed by ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (up to 82.63 µmol Fe+ 2 g- 1 DM), Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity assay (up to 17.79mg gallic acid equivalent g- 1 DM), and DPPH free radical scavenging assay (up to 25.36mg ascorbic acid equivalent g- 1 DM). These results especially demonstrated the bioactive potential of red guava and provided knowledge regarding the influence of ripening and growing location on chemical and bioactive components encouraging its industrial exploitation.