Antioxidant Potential of Polyphenols from Fruits and Health Benefits: Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Some Fruits

Reactive oxygen species are highly reactive to damage nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates that consequently affect the immune functions causing degenerative diseases, cancer, premature aging, inflammation, cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction. Antioxidants are known to defuse free radicals leading to limited risk of oxidative stress and associated disorders. Carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbates and polyphenols found in abundance in various fruits are strong natural antioxidants with free radical scavenging activity (FRSA). Polyphenols are excellent antioxidant with significant importance to reduce oxidative stress and play a key role in human health in protection against degenerative diseases. Some fruits and their underutilized parts were studied for total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and FRSA in terms of IC50 (inhibitory concentration), EC50 (effective concentration), ARP (antiradical power) and concentration dependent reducing power, expressed as ascorbic acid equivalent (ASE/ml).