Polyphenol contents and in vitro antioxidant activities of lyophilised aqueous extract of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant potency and total phenolic and flavonoid contents of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) in vitro by analysing the radical scavenging activity of lyophilised water extract from kiwifruit (LEK) for 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD), and superoxide anion radical (O2−) as well as the total reducing power by FRAP and CUPRAC assays and the metal chelating activities. LEK showed efficient radical scavenging activity with DPPH, ABTS, DMPD, and O2− radicals; ferric (Fe3+) and cupric (Cu2+) ion reducing power and metal chelating activities. Moreover, the amounts of phenolic compounds, such as caffeic acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, ellagic acid, catechol, pyrogallol, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, quercetin, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid, in LEK were quantified by LC-MS-MS. The results show that pyrogallol (2070.0 mg/kg LEK) is the main phenolic compound responsible for the antioxidant and radical scavenging activities of LEK. Finally, total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined as gallic acid (GAE) and quercetin equivalents (QE). The GAE and QE values in LEK were 16.67 ± 2.83 μg GAE/mg and 12.95 ± 0.52 μg QE/mg, respectively. The results suggest that consumption of kiwifruit (A. deliciosa) can be beneficial effects due to its antioxidant properties.