Antioxidant potential of different plum cultivars during storage

Plums, the most commonly consumed fruits from Romania, are fruits rich in bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants. This research work was carried out to investigate the antioxidant potential of twelve plum cultivars, fresh and stored during 10days at 4°C by using different methods (DPPH, ORAC and erythrocyte resistance to haemolysis). The contents of total phenolic compounds and total anthocyanins were also determined by specific spectrometric methods. Significant differences between fresh and stored plum cultivars (p<0.05) were found. Storage at 4°C resulted in an increase in antioxidant potential and anthocyanins content of the autumn plum varieties. Autumn plum varieties also showed a higher antioxidant capacity than summer varieties, as assessed by the ORAC and the haemolysis resistance assays. Our results suggest that, even after storage, plums could be a good source of antioxidants, which may provide health-promoting effects for humans.