Bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential of mango peel extract

Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids and anthocyanins present in fruits and vegetables are receiving increased attention because of their potential antioxidant activity. Consumption of such antioxidants offers health benefits including protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Mango peel is a major byproduct obtained during the processing of mango products such as mango pulp and amchur. In the present study, the antioxidant activity of mango peel extracts was examined. Polyphenol, anthocyanin and carotenoid contents in acetone extract of peels were determined. Ripe peels contained higher amount of anthocyanins and carotenoids compared to raw peels while raw mango peel had high polyphenol content. Antioxidant activity of ripe and raw mango peels extracted in acetone was determined using different antioxidant systems such as reducing power activity, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, iron induced lipid peroxidation of liver microsomes and soybean lipoxygenase inhibition. The IC50 values were found to be in the range of 1.39–5.24 μg of gallic acid equivalents. Thus, the mango peel extract exhibited good antioxidant activity in different systems and thus may be used in nutraceutical and functional foods.