Phenolic Profile and Bioactive Potential of Stems and Seed Kernels of Sweet Cherry Fruit

Sílvia Afonso*, Ivo Vaz Oliveira, Anne S. Meyer, Alfredo Aires, Maria José Saavedra, Berta Gonçalves

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Every year, large quantities of stems and pits are generated during sweet cherry processing, without any substantial use. Although stems are widely recognized by traditional medicine, detailed and feasible information about their bioactive composition or biological value is still scarce, as well as the characterization of kernels. Therefore, we conducted a study in which bioactivity potential of extracts from stems and kernels of four sweet cherry cultivars (Early Bigi (grown under net cover (C) and without net cover (NC)), Burlat, Lapins, and Van) were examined. The assays included antioxidant (by 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays), and antibacterial activities against important Gram negative and Gram positive bacterial human isolates. Profile and individual phenolic composition of each extract were determined by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Extracts from stems of cv. Lapins and kernels of Early Bigi  NC presented high levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, ortho-diphenols and saponins. Excepting for cv. Early Bigi  NC, major phenolic compounds identified in stems and kernels were sakuranetin and catechin, respectively. In cv. Early Bigi  NC the most abundant compounds were ellagic acid for stems and protocatechuic acid for kernels. In all extracts, antioxidant activities showed a positive correlation with the increments in phenolic compounds. Antimicrobial activity assays showed that only stem’s extracts were capable of inhibiting the growth of Gram positive isolates. This new data is intended to provide new possibilities of valorization of these by-products and their valuable properties.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1295
JournalAntioxidants
Volume9
Issue number12
Number of pages17
ISSN2076-3921
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • Prunus avium
  • HPLC
  • By-products
  • Antioxidant
  • Antimicrobial

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