The total antioxidant activity of 12 fruits and 5 commercial fruit juices was measured in this study using automated oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. On the basis of the wet weight of the fruits (edible portion), strawberry had the highest ORAC activity (micromoles of Trolox equivalents per gram) followed by plum, orange, red grape, kiwi fruit, pink grapefruit, white grape, banana, apple, tomato, pear, and honeydew melon. On the basis of the dry weight of the fruits, strawberry again had the highest ORAC activity followed by plum, orange, pink grapefruit, tomato, kiwi fruit, red grape, white grape, apple, honeydew melon, pear, and banana. Most of the antioxidant capacity of these fruits was from the juice fractions. The contribution of the fruit pulp fraction (extracted with acetone) to the total ORAC activity of a fruit was usually less than 10%. Among the commercial fruit juices, grape juice had the highest ORAC activity followed by grapefruit juice, tomato juice, orange juice, and apple juice.

Total Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits

Previously, some fruits were shown to contain high antioxidant activities. In this paper, we report the antioxidant activities of 22 common vegetables, one green tea, and one black tea measured using the automated oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay with three different reactive species:  a peroxyl radical generator, a hydroxyl radical generator, and Cu2+, a transition metal. Based on the fresh weight of the vegetable, garlic had the highest antioxidant activity (μmol of Trolox equiv/g) against peroxyl radicals (19.4) followed by kale (17.7), spinach (12.6), Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli flowers, beets, red bell pepper, onion, corn, eggplant (9.8−3.9), cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, cabbage, leaf lettuce, string bean, carrot, yellow squash, iceberg lettuce, celery, and cucumber (3.8−0.5); kale had the highest antioxidant activity against hydroxyl radicals followed by Brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, beets, spinach, broccoli flowers, and the others. The green and black teas had muc...

Antioxidant Capacity of Tea and Common Vegetables

Phenolics in Food and Nutraceuticals is the first single-source compendium of essential information concerning food phenolics. This unique book reports the classification and nomenclature of phenolics, their occurrence in food and nutraceuticals, chemistry and applications, and nutritional and health effects. In addition, it describes antioxidant activity of phenolics in food and nutraceuticals as well as methods for analysis and quantification. Each chapter concludes with an extensive bibliography for further reading. Food scientists, nutritionists, chemists, biochemists, and health professionals will find this book valuable.

Phenolics in food and nutraceuticals

USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods Release 3.1

Ellagitannins, ellagic acid and their derived metabolites: A review about source, metabolism, functions and health

Cultural system [hill plasticulture (HC) versus matted row (MR)] and genotype interactions affected strawberry fruit quality. In general, fruit soluble solids content, total sugar, fructose, glucose, ascorbic acid, titratable acid, and citric acid contents were increased in the HC system. Fruit from HC also had higher flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities. Strawberry fruit contains flavonols as well as other phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Pelargonidin-based anthocyanins such as pelargonidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-rutinoside, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside-succinate were the predominant anthocyanins in strawberry fruit. The content of cyanidin-based anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-glucoside-succinate, was much lower than that of pelargonidin-based anthocyanins in either system. Strawberry fruit from the HC system had significantly higher amounts of p-coumaroylglucose, dihydroflavonol, quercetin 3-glucoside, quercetin 3-glucuronide, kaempferol 3-glucoside, kaempferol 3-glucuronide, cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside-succinate, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside-succinate. Fruits from plants grown in the MR system generally had the lowest contents of phenolic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanins. Strawberry fruit grown under HC conditions had significantly higher peroxyl radicals (ROO*) absorbance capacity (ORAC).

Cultural system affects fruit quality and antioxidant capacity in strawberries.

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Ellagic Acid, an Anticarcinogen in Fruits, Especially in Strawberries: A Review

Ellagic acid tissue extracts of green and red-ripe strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) was detected and quantified by HPLC. Ellagic acid content of green fruit pulp ranges from 1.32 to 8.43 mg.g −1 of tissue dry weight (mean 3.36 mg.g −1 ) and in achenes of green fruit from 1.32 to 20.73 mg.g −1 (mean 7.24). Ellagic acid content of red fruit pulp at one location for 35 cultivars and selections ranged from 0.43 to 4.64 mg.g −1 of dry weight (mean 1.55) and from 0.43 to 3.47 mg.g −1 (mean 1.45) for 15 clones at another location (...)

/pdf/evaluation-of-strawberry-cultivars-for-ellagic-acid-content-182q0oiews.pdf

Evaluation of Strawberry Cultivars for Ellagic Acid Content

The influence of mulch types (black polyethylene, red polyethylene, and straw-vetch in raised bed hill culture) on the chemical composition of'Northeaster' and 'Primetime' strawberry (Fragaria xananassa Duch.) fruit and plant parts was evaluated. Ascorbic acid (AA), malic acid, citric acid, and ellagic acid levels were higher in 'Primetime' than in 'Northeaster' fruits, while 'Northeaster' had a higher soluble solids content (SSC). Fruit grown on straw-vetch had lower SSC than did those grown on the polyethylene mulches. The AA content in the fruit of either cultivar was not affected by the mulch treatment. Fruit grown on the straw-vetch mulch had less red surface and flesh color but higher pigment intensity than fruit grown on the polyethylene mulches. Strawberry plants grown on straw-vetch mulch had the largest leaf area and the highest chlorophyll content, while plants grown on red polyethylene mulch had the smallest leaf area and lowest chlorophyll content. There were significant mulch ×cultivar interactions in fruit titratable acid (TA) and AA levels, sugars, citric and ellagic acid contents, leaf area and chlorophyll levels, and soluble carbohydrate and starch contents in leaves, petioles, crowns, crown-roots, and roots. TA was highest in 'Northeaster' fruit when grown on red polyethylene, whereas TA was highest in 'Primetime' fruit when grown on straw-vetch. The highest fruit citric acid levels were found in straw-vetch mulched plots of'Northeaster', and in black polyethylene mulched plots of'Primetime'. Ellagic acid accumulation was highest in 'Northeaster' fruit grown on black polyethylene, and in 'Primetime' fruit grown on red polyethylene or straw-vetch mulches. Fruit glucose content was highest in 'Northeaster', but lowest in 'Primetime', when grown on the straw-vetch mulch. There was a general tendency for soluble carbohydrate and starch levels in plant tissues to be lowest when the plants were grown in red polyethylene mulch and highest when grown in black polyethylene mulch. 'Primetime' contained higher total carbohydrate levels than did 'Northeaster' in all tissues tested.

/pdf/mulch-types-affect-fruit-quality-and-composition-of-two-1wpgbudhfk.pdf

Gene J. Galletta

Papers

Cultural system affects fruit quality and antioxidant capacity in strawberries.

Ellagic Acid, an Anticarcinogen in Fruits, Especially in Strawberries: A Review

Evaluation of Strawberry Cultivars for Ellagic Acid Content

Mulch Types Affect Fruit Quality and Composition of Two Strawberry Genotypes

In vitro germination and growth of Rubus seeds and embryos