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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #186888
Title: TOTAL PHENOLIC, CAROTENOIDS, AND ANTHOCYANIN CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PEACH AND PLUM GENOTYPES

Author
item VIZZOTTO, M - TEXAS A&M
item CISNEROS-ZEVALLOS, L - TEXAS A&M
item BYRNE, D - TEXAS A&M
item Okie, William
item Ramming, David

Submitted to: International Peach Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2004
Publication Date: 1/9/2005
Citation: Vizzotto, M., Cisneros-Zevallos, L., Byrne, D., Okie, W.R., Ramming, D.W. 2005. Total phenolic, carotenoids, and anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of peach and plum genotypes (abstract). Abstracts-Sixth International Peach Symposium. (O):21.

Interpretive Summary: Nutritional content of foods especially fruits and vegetables has come to mean more than just levels of vitamins and minerals. Various pigments and specialty chemicals are thought to be vital to good health. This paper compares the levels of several of these chemicals in an array of plums and peaches, some with very dark red flesh. These dark red fruit have higher levels of chemicals thought to be health-giving. Development of new varieties with enhanced levels would likely provide health benefits to the consumer who bought them.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to characterize the phytochemicals and antioxidant activity (AOA) exhibited in peaches and plums and to determine if any associations existed between these phytochemicals and AOA. Twenty-two peach varieties and fifty-three plum varieties with different flesh and skin color collected from fields in California, Georgia, and Texas were analyzed for their antioxidant content and AOA. Total phenolics, anthocyanins, carotenoids were analyzed spectrophotometrically. AOA was evaluated by DPPH. Anthocyanin and phenolic contents were higher in red-flesh than in white/yellow -flesh peaches. Carotenoid content was higher in yellow-flesh than in white or red-flesh peaches. AOA was about 2-fold higher in red-flesh varieties than in white/yellow-flesh varieties. Among the peaches, the AOA was well correlated with both phenolic and anthocyanin content. Among the plums, the anthocyanin content increased with the red color intensity. Although the plums varied widely in phenolic content, the red/purple-flesh plums generally had higher phenolic content (400-500 mg chlorogenic acid/100g fw) than the other plums. Carotenoid content in plums was similar for all varieties. AOA was higher in red/purple-flesh varieties; however, it was well correlated only with the phenolic content in light colored flesh plums. These results suggest that red-flesh peach varieties have a greater potential health benefit based on antioxidant content and AOA as compared to the white/yellow-flesh varieties. Although this trend is not clear over all the plum varieties; the red/purple-flesh plums usually have higher antioxidant content and AOA.