Phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of bacaba-de-leque (Oenocarpus distichus Mart.) genotypes

Phenolic compound composition and antioxidant capacity of four Oenocarpus distichus Mart. (bacaba-de-leque) genotypes were determined. In order to set the parameters for phenolic compound extraction, the effect of methanol concentration and extraction time on the reducing power of the extracts was evaluated using the surface response methodology. The optimal conditions were: a 60:40 methanol:water (v/v) solution and 11 min of extraction. Extracts were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Eleven substances were identified, of which six were quantified. Rutin was the major compound in bacaba-de-leque genotypes (15.2-56.8 μg.g−1) followed by epicatechin (15.5-21.2 μg.g−1). The Black-03 genotype had the highest amounts of all phenolic compounds and the highest antioxidant capacity by DPPH and ORAC assays, indicating that this genotype may be selected in breeding programs to obtain cultivars with higher phenolic compound contents and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the results indicated that bacaba-de-leque has great potential as a novel supplier of phenolic acids and flavonoids to human diet, with levels comparable to or higher than other fruits belonging to the same family, such as açaí.