title: Antioxidant activity and polyphenol content in edible wild fruits from Nepal.
abstract: Fifteen fruits commonly used by the ethnic population in Nepal were studied for the antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content (TPC). Among them, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, Phyllanthus emblica and Spondias pinnata were the most potent antioxidants as compared with vitamin C based on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical assay. These fruits also contained high TPCs. Spondias pinnata, Pyrularia edulis, Melastoma malabathricum, Cipadema bacifera and Choerospondias axillaries fruits were evaluated for the first time. Moreover, Spondias pinnata was found to be more potent (16% radical scavenging activity at 5 microg/ml) than vitamin C (5% radical scavenging activity at 5 microg/ml). Antioxidant activity showed correlation to TPC with the correlation coefficients (R(2)) as 0.7189 and 0.7246 for the methanol and water extracts, respectively. This study suggests that a number of these fruits may have the potential to confer beneficial health effects due to their antioxidant activity and TPC.
authors.affiliation: The School of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Pokhara University, Lekhnath, Nepal.
authors.forename: Jaya Prakash
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chalise
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.forename: Nirmala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gurung
authors.forename: Ram Prasad
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bhusal
authors.forename: Reenu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurung
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Skalko-Basnet
authors.forename: Purusotam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Basnet
mesh_terms: D027926:Anacardiaceae; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D009390:Nepal; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029803:Phyllanthus; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059808:Polyphenols; D029766:Terminalia
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005419:Flavonoids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D001205:Ascorbic Acid