Polyphenolic and Vitamin C Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Aqueous Extracts from Mature-Green and Ripe Fruit Fleshes of Mangifera sp.

Mature-green and ripe fleshes from 12 samples of Mangifera were selected for this study. The mature-green fleshes were found to have higher vitamin C contents than the ripe fleshes. However, not all higher total or individual phenolic contents were measured from the mature-green fleshes. The highest contents of vitamin C and total phenolics were respectively measured from the aqueous extracts of mature-green (255.86 +/- 12.98 mu g AAE/g sample) and ripe (142.57 +/- 0.38 mu g GAE/g sample) fleshes of M. petandra cv. Pauh. Gallic acid and mangiferin were detected in all aqueous extracts. The extracts of the mature-green flesh of M. indica cv. Chokanan and the ripe flesh of M. indica cv. Siku Raja, respectively, exhibited the greatest 1,1-dipheny1-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH)-scavenging activity (408.21 +/- 5.37 mu g TE/g sample) and metal chelating activity (93.68 +/- 0.74%). The combined or potentiation effects of the moderate vitamin C, gallic acid, and mangiferin contents in both extracts may be responsible for the activities. The highest mangiferin content (31.72 +/- 2.57 mu g/g sample) in the mature-green M. caesia (Binjai) could be the major contributor to its highest FRAP activity (868.29 +/- 2.71 mu g TE/g sample). This paper reports apparently the first comparative study highlighting the antioxidant activities of these fruit fleshes.