Nutritional Composition, Phytochemical Performance, Total Content of Polyphenols, Antioxidant Capacity, and Bioactive Compounds of Yvapurú Fruits (Plinia cauliflora)

Autochthonous fruits such as Yvapurú (Plinia cauliflora) have beneficial health properties through their bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition, the phytochemical performance, the total content of polyphenols, the antioxidant capacity and bioactive compounds in the Yvapurú´s fruits. Methods: The macronutrients were analyzed by the Antrona method for carbohydrates, the Kjeldahl method for proteins and the Softlex method for total fat. Phytochemical screening was performed to detect phenols, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, leucoanthocyanidins and quinones. The polyphenols total content was obtained through the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method and the identification of bioactive compounds was carried out through Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESIQqQLIT- MS/MS) method. Results: The macronutrients were found in proportions of 47.8%, 7.24% and 1.28% for carbohydrates, proteins and fats, respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phenols and triperthenoids. The total polyphenol content was 24 mg/g. The antioxidant capacity was (10,200±334) μmol/100 g. Conclusion: These findings confirmed that the fruits of P. cauliflora are a good source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds that are beneficial for human health both for the prevention and treatment of diseases.