Aroeira fruit (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) as a natural antioxidant: Chemical constituents, bioactive compounds and in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacity

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi fruit, known as Brazilian pepper or aroeira, is a natural source of bioactive compounds. However, studies about the antioxidant and nutritional contribution of this fruit in food systems are limited. Regarding the presence of bioactive compounds, flavonoids showed the highest level (10.33 +/- 0.34 mg QE/g), and potential antioxidant components such biflavonoids were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The aroeira fruit extract showed antioxidant potential in DPPH (42.68 +/- 0.05%), ORAC (43.40 +/- 6.22 mu M TE/g) and beta- carotene/linoleic acid (61.41 +/- 5.30%) assays. Besides that, in vivo analyses demonstrated the ability of aroeira extracts to decrease the damage caused by oxidative stress promoted by H2O2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Thus, the presence of phytochemicals with functional properties and the antioxidant capacity of aroeira fruit indicate its use as a potential natural antioxidant for the food industry.