Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Properties in Extracts of ? Developing Accai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Seeds

We investigated changes in the phenolic profile and antioxidant properties in the extracts of developing seeds of acai (Euterpe oleracea). Four developmental stages were evaluated, with earlier stages displaying higher antioxidant activity and polyphenols content, while mass spectrometry analysis identified procyanidins (PCs) as the major components of the extracts in all stages. B-type PCs varied from dimers to decamers, with A-type linkages in a smaller number. Extracted PCs decreased in average length from 20.5 to 10.1 along seed development. PC composition indicated that (-)-epicatechin corresponded to over 95% of extension units in all stages, while (+)-catechin presence as the starter unit increased from 42 to 78.8% during seed development. This variation was correlated to the abundance of key enzymes for PC biosynthesis during seed development. This study is the first to report PC content and composition variations during acai seed development, which can contribute to studies on the plant's physiology and biotechnological applications.

Automated summary

Changes in the phenolic profile and antioxidant properties were investigated in developing acai seeds. Earlier stages displayed higher antioxidant activity and polyphenols content, with procyanidins identified as the major components. Extracted procyanidins decreased in length along seed development, with (-)-epicatechin being the predominant unit and (+)-catechin increasing in presence. This variation was correlated to the abundance of key enzymes for procyanidin biosynthesis.