Antioxidant Activity of Brazilian Fruits

This chapter reviews the antioxidant activity of 22 Brazilian fruits, using different methods like DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, using the bibliography available in recent years. We investigate the substances with the greatest described activity and to which class they belong. Flavonoids and polyphenols are the most common class of metabolites present in fruits with antioxidant activity. Catechin, epicatechin, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, resveratrol, and gallic acid, among others. We also investigate the presence of pro-vitamin A substances like carotenoids in these fruits, such as beta-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin, and the presence of vitamin C and E. In the ABTS and FRAP methods, camu-camu, acerola, jaboticaba, and açaí presented the highest values of antioxidant activity. We identify that the fruits with major content of polyphenols presented major antioxidant activity. They were acerola, camu-camu, and açaí.