Evaluation of nutritional and antioxidant properties of the tropical fruits banana, litchi, mango, papaya, passion fruit and pineapple cultivated in Réunion French Island

•French tropical fruits are natural sources of vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols.•Passion fruit constitutes an abundant source of polyphenols.•Flavonoids, phenolic acids and piceatannol are detected in French tropical fruits.•Polyphenols from French tropical fruits exert free radical-scavenging activities.•Polyphenols from French tropical fruits protect cells against oxidative stress.

Much attention is paid to the beneficial action of fruits against obesity-related oxidative stress. This study evaluated nutritional and antioxidant properties of banana, litchi, mango, papaya, passion fruit and pineapple from Réunion French Island. Results showed that total amounts of carbohydrates, vitamin C and carotenoids were 7.7–67.3 g glucose equivalent, 4.7–84.9 mg ascorbic acid equivalent and 26.6–3829.2 μg β-carotene equivalent/100 g fresh weight, respectively. Polyphenols were detected as the most abundant antioxidants (33.0–286.6 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight) with the highest content from passion fruit. UPLC-MS analysis led to identify epigallocatechin and quercetin derivatives from banana and litchi, ferulic, sinapic, syringic and gallic acids from pineapple and mango, and piceatannol from passion fruit. Polyphenol-rich extracts protected red blood cells and preadipose cells against oxidative stress. Altogether, these findings highlight nutritional benefits of French tropical fruits and their possible interest to improve antioxidant capacities of the body during obesity.