Total oxidant scavenging capacities of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Acai) fruits

The antioxidant capacities of 11 commercial and non-commercial samples of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (acai) fruit pulp were studied with the total oxidant scavenging capacity assay in a modified and automated version against three reactive oxygen species. The antioxidant capacities of all purple acai samples were found to be excellent against peroxyl radicals, good against peroxynitrite and poor against hydroxyl radicals compared with common European fruit and vegetable juices recently analysed. In all cases the correlation between sample concentration and antioxidant capacities was non-linear. The antioxidant capacities against all three reactive oxygen species of the fruit pulp from one white acai variety were very low. The phenolic compounds in purple acai fruit pulp were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry, and the two major anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography - visible spectrometry. The contributions of the anthocyanins to the overall antioxidant capacities of the fruit were estimated to be only approximately 10%. Obviously, compounds not yet identified are responsible for the major part of the antioxidant capacities of the acai fruit pulp.