Abstract
Plum edible part was used to obtained extracts by during a 4 h maceration process using three different solvents (ethanol, methanol and water) for the determination of total phenols and flavonoids, antioxidant capacity by (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hemolysis inhibition in human blood assays. Subsequently, phenolic compounds were identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-MS). The results indicated that the ethanolic extract of plum fruit being a good source of phenolic (12–18 mg GAE/g FW) and flavonoids (2.3–2.5 mg QE/g FW) content in both varieties of plum. Also, the fruits proved a good source of antioxidants as measured by DPPH and ABTS; likewise, plum aqueous extracts showed the highest protective effect on human erythrocytes with 74.34 and 64.62% for yellow and red plum, respectively. A total of 23 bioactive compounds were identified by UPLC-MS, including gallic acid, rutin, resorcinol, chlorogenic acid, catechin, and ellagic acid, and the antioxidant capacity can be attributed to these species. The edible part of plum contains compounds of biological interest, suggesting that this fruit has antioxidant potential that can be exploited for various technologies.
Highlights
Food production and consumption are among humankind’s greatest needs [1]
Phenolic compounds are the main secondary metabolites present in plants due to their protective effects in plants, and they could have similar effects in the human body; they can act as natural antioxidants, since they may reduce free radical formation caused by different types of stress [4,12]
Red plum presented higher phenolic contents in its methanolic and ethanolic extracts, and significant differences were found for both the variety of plum and the organic solvent used
Summary
Food production and consumption are among humankind’s greatest needs [1]. Interest in food production is increasing due to the growing production of free radicals and its relationship to the development of various diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic, degenerative diseases [2]. Consumer interest in the consumption of natural foods and foods with bioactive compounds which can provide health benefits and act as preventive medicines has been increasing in recent years [3]. Recent studies have shown that a wide variety of vegetables are appreciated for their therapeutic potential and health benefits because of their high contents of bioactive compounds that can act as natural antioxidants [4]. Among these compounds are vitamin C, carotenoids, anthocyanins and phenols, and of these, phenols are of particular interest because of their important biological activities [5]. Plum (Spondias spp.) has been widely used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes; in Mexico, there are still wild populations of plum that have not been studied, and these populations represent a viable alternative for the development of new technologies [7]
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