ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PRUNUS SPINOSA L. FRUIT JUICE

The purpose of this work was to assess the antioxidant activity of fresh juice from Prunus spinosa L. fruit (Rosaceae) growing wild in Urbino (central Italy) by using different in vitro analytical methods: 5-lipoxygenase test, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). BHT, Trolox, and ascorbic acid were used as reference antioxidant compounds. In the 5-lipoxygenase test the fresh fruit juice of P. spinosa showed a good antioxidant activity when compared to Trolox; in the DPPH test the samples showed IC50 values that were comparable to ascorbic acid, while the ORAC value was 36.02 mu mol eq. Trolox/g of fruit. These values are in accord with data reported in the literature for small fruits such as vaccinium, rubus and ribes. The antioxidant activity of red berries is correlated with the anthocyanin content. The results of this study indicate that the three most representative anthocyanins in sloe fruit juice (cyanidin-3-rutinoside, peonidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside) contribute in varying amounts to the antioxidant properties.