Phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of pawpaw fruit (Asimina triloba L.) at different ripening stages

Pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal], a native species of the eastern United States, bears the largest edible fruit of all indigenous trees. Chemoprotective properties of fruits have been partly attributed to phenolics such as gallic acid and chlorogenic acid, and the phenolic content generally correlates with antioxidant capacity for various kinds of fruits. Despite many reports of commonly available fruits, little information is available on phenolic content or antioxidant capacity for currently underused fruits. The objectives of this study were to determine the phenolic content (PC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) in fruit of two pawpaw cultivars at different stages of ripening. Sample extraction of pawpaw was achieved by adding acetone (2 mL/1g of sample) to the pulp of 'PA-Golden (#1)' and advanced selection 1-23, and then vortexing (30 s) and sonicating (15 min.) the sample and solvent before centrifuging it (15 min) twice at 2987 g. Folin-Ciocalteu assay and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay were used for the estimation of PC and AC, respectively. PC and AC tended to decrease with ripening of fruit. The highest AC was found in the semiripe 'PA-Golden (#1)' puree (22.06 mu mol TE/g fresh weight), whereas the puree of ripe fruit contained the lowest AC (17.04 mu mol TE/g fresh weight), about a 23% decrease. In contrast, the greatest PC and AC were observed in intermediate fruits for 1-23. A positive correlation was found between PC and AC of fruit of 'PA-Golden (#1)' (r = 0.62) and 1-23 (r = 0.82). These results suggest that phenolic components of pawpaw pulp have a major effect on AC, as reported for other fruits and vegetables. The relatively high AC found in pawpaw pulp may motivate more health-conscientious people to consume pawpaw fruit. The diversity in PC and AC between pawpaw cultivars emphasizes the need for additional screening to identify cultivars with high AC and health-promoting potential.