Schinus terebinthifolius vs Schinus molle: A comparative study of the effect of species and location on the phytochemical content of fruits

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of location on both the protein, oil and phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi and Schinus molle L. fruits. Significant variability was detected. Schinus terebinthifolius fruits contained high levels of protein (17.5-26.2%), oil (13.88-14.08%) and phenolic compounds (32.39-35.23 mg GAE/g DW). Schinus molle samples had high antioxidant activity. Unsaturated fatty acids were the major fatty acids (63.52-69.07%). An HPLC analysis revealed noticeable differences between regions and species. This study highlights the value of S. terebinthifolius and S. molle fruits as an attractive source of bioantioxidants and may be used to improve the consistent index for estimating fruit richness in biomolecules for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.