Total Phenolic, Flavonoid Distribution and Antioxidant Capacity in Skin, Pulp and Fruit Extracts of Plum Cultivars

Abstract

Total phenolic, total flavonoid distribution and antioxidant activity in skin, pulp and fruit extracts of 12 plum cultivars were investigated. The results showed that the levels of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds changed depending on cultivars and fruit parts. The total phenolic content in skin was 4.5 times higher than that in pulp and 3.2 times higher than that in the whole fruit. The total flavonoid content in skin was 18.7 times higher than that in pulp and 9.6 times higher than that in the whole fruit. As the trend observed for antioxidant activity, a positive relationship (correlation coefficient r2 = 0.83–0.92) was presented between total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity. The results confirm that plum is a good source of natural phenolic antioxidants. Practical Applications The present study indicated that plum can contribute to the dietary intake of antioxidants, depending on cultivars and fruit parts. It is among the few studies investigating the distribution of total phenolic, total flavonoids and total antioxidant capacity in the skin, pulp and fruit of plum cultivars. It was observed that the highest values of total phenolic and flavonoid content were obtained from skin extracts. The study highlighted that phenolics and flavonoids in plums may play an important role as radical-scavenging agents that could be used for a healthy human life. This fact may open new perspectives for plum – besides its traditional uses – to be used in assuring a wholesome diet and a healthy life.