Vitamin and bioactive compound diversity of seven fruit species from south Brazil

The consumption of native tropical fruits represents an important source of bioactive food and vitamins for consumers. The aim of this study was to determine the composition of vitamins, bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of seven native fruits of the Myrtaceae family from south Brazil.

Sample 1 of Eugenia pyriformis presented the highest value of β-carotene (0.1021 g kg^-1 ), lutein (0.0511 g kg^-1 ), zeaxanthin (0.0370 g kg^-1 ), and α-carotene (0.0112 g kg^-1 ), of all analyzed samples. The three samples of Eugenia uniflora L presented the highest lycopene (0.1876, 0.1240 and 0.1615 g kg^-1 ) and vitamin A content (0.106, 0.035 and 0.178 g kg^-1 RAE) of all seven species analyzed. The cyanidin 3-glucoside was the most common anthocyanin found in fruits in the present study. Two samples of Plinia peruviana presented higher antioxidant capacity by the ABTS radical method (0.80 and 0.67 mol TEs kg^-1 ) among the fruits analyzed. The samples of Campomanesia xanthocarpa analyzed stood out owing to the high content of vitamin C present (23.89, 36.83 and 35.05 g kg^-1 ). The values of pantothenic acid in Plinia peruviana account for 20% of daily requirements.

In conclusion, the native fruits studied can provide an appreciable amount of vitamins and bioactive compounds. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.