Phenolic compounds in foods have been associated with reduced incidences of heart disease by acting as antioxidants for low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Prunes may be a good source of natural antioxidants: neochlorogenic acid, and flavonoids (quercetin derivatives, in particular rutin). During the drying process the anthocyanin content is lost, nevertheless prunes are a source of nutraceuticals, due to their high polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity. A pitted prune extract inhibits LDL oxidation by 24, 82 and 98% at 5, 10, and 20 µM gallic acid equivalents. Fresh and dried epicarp and mesocarp extracts from prunes grown in selected areas of Central Italy were analyzed by HPLC/DAD/MS/MS quali-quantitative analyses. The classes of detected polyphenols were: hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins (where presents). 100 g of fresh fruits contained 120 mg of total polyphenols, with an average concentration of 1.81 mg/g of dried fruit. Total phenol contents were in the range 0.28-0.33% in the dried epicarp, and 0.98-1.07% in the dried mesocarp. The high polyphenol content of prune extracts makes these fruits very suitable to obtain nutraceuticals, supplements, functional foods and food ingredients as natural antioxidants, to enhance food quality and provide safer products.
Prune (Prunus domestica L., europaea) fruits as a source of polyphenolic nutraceuticals
MIELE, SERGIO;
2011-01-01
Abstract
Phenolic compounds in foods have been associated with reduced incidences of heart disease by acting as antioxidants for low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Prunes may be a good source of natural antioxidants: neochlorogenic acid, and flavonoids (quercetin derivatives, in particular rutin). During the drying process the anthocyanin content is lost, nevertheless prunes are a source of nutraceuticals, due to their high polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity. A pitted prune extract inhibits LDL oxidation by 24, 82 and 98% at 5, 10, and 20 µM gallic acid equivalents. Fresh and dried epicarp and mesocarp extracts from prunes grown in selected areas of Central Italy were analyzed by HPLC/DAD/MS/MS quali-quantitative analyses. The classes of detected polyphenols were: hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins (where presents). 100 g of fresh fruits contained 120 mg of total polyphenols, with an average concentration of 1.81 mg/g of dried fruit. Total phenol contents were in the range 0.28-0.33% in the dried epicarp, and 0.98-1.07% in the dried mesocarp. The high polyphenol content of prune extracts makes these fruits very suitable to obtain nutraceuticals, supplements, functional foods and food ingredients as natural antioxidants, to enhance food quality and provide safer products.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
