COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ON ANTIOXIDANT CONTENT IN THE FRUITS OF SELECT INDIGENOUS VARIETIES OF FRUITS, GRAPES AND VEGETABLES

Abstract

In this research study, we presented the results of the chemical analysis conducted on fruits of indigenous varieties and populations of several fruit species, namely cherries, pomegranates and apples, as well as grapes and vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes. Among the samples analyzed, the pepper populations exhibited the highest concentration of vitamin C, measured at 51.25 mg/100g. Conversely, the lowest levels of vitamin C were observed in apples and grapes, approximately 9 mg/100g. When considering the overall antioxidant activity, tomatoes and peppers displayed the largest proportion of vitamin C, accounting for over 75 mg/100g. Furthermore, the highest quantity of anthocyanins was found in cherries, specifically 394.30 mg/kg FW (FW = Fresh Weight). Pomegranate varieties exhibited the greatest content of total phenols, measuring 5359.43 mg/kg FW, along with the highest fruit antioxidant activity, showing 81.58 % inhibition. As for apple varieties, they contained the highest amount of flavan-3-ols, reaching 517.98 mg/kg FW. Our analysis revealed a positive correlation between total phenols and antioxidant activity, as well as between total phenols and flavan-3-ols. Additionally, a moderate negative correlation was identified between vitamin C and flavan-3-ols.