Quality attributes and functional compounds of Mexican plum ( <i>Spondias purpurea</i> L.) fruit ecotypes

Abstract

Introduction. Mexico harbors a great diversity of Spondias purpurea ecotypes, whose fruit is called Mex- ican plum and has a good consumer acceptance because of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. Materials and methods. The concentrations of metabolites in 11 ecotypes of Mexican plum were determined from samples of rind (epicarp) and pulp originating from fresh seasonal fruit. Results and discussion. The mass of these fruits var- ied from 11.1 to 35.0 g, and the epicarp color ranged from purple and red, to orange and yellow. The content of total soluble solids, total sugars, and vitamin C was of 9.4−18.2 ◦ Brix, 101.0−185.9 mg g −1 fresh weight (FW), and 0.6− 2.1 mg g −1 FW, respectively. The total phenolic content was always higher in the epicarp (3.7 mg g −1 FW) than in the pulp (1.3 mg −1 FW), as was the total content of carotenoids and the levels of antioxidant activity. Additionally, positive correlations could be established between antioxidant activity and total phenolics, total phenolics and total carotenoids, and between the antioxidant activity in the epicarp and the total content of vitamin C. In addition, nega- tive correlations were found between hue and the carotenoid content of the pulp, and between hue and the antioxidant activity in the epicarp and pulp. Conclusion. The results suggest that a higher content of phenols, carotenoids, and vi- tamin C, together with a purple or red coloration of the epicarp, can all be associated with an increase in the antioxidant activities of the epicarp and pulp of the Mexican plum.