Vegetable and fruit peels as a novel source of antioxidants

Abstract

Consumers are currently demanding less use of chemicals or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, so more attention had been paid to search for naturally occurring substances. This is particularly true for plant materials that act as alternative antioxidant sources. From this point of view, the present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of seven fruit and vegetable peels from India. Extraction was done individually by cold percolation method using various organic solvents (hexane, chloroform, acetone and methanol). Quantitative phytochemical analysis was done for total phenol and flavonoid content. Antioxidant testing assays were 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and reducing capacity assessment. Amongst the seven plant peels, the acetone extract of Mangifera indica was the most potent and in some cases even better than the standard. The results obtained indicate that M. indica peel may become important as a cheap and noticeable natural source of compounds with health protective potential, which can be used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food preparation.   Key words: Antioxidant activity, Mangifera indica, Lagenaria siceraria, peels, total phenol content, solvent extracts.