A comprehensive characterization of Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill and Solanum oocarpum Sendtn: Chemical composition and antioxidant properties

In this study we evaluated the proximate composition of two Solanaceae fruits from Brazilian Cerrado, their mineral content, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phenolic compounds profile, and antioxidant capacity employing Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay, for each part of the fruits (pulp, peel and seeds). Our results showed that the pulp has a high moisture content (74.62–85.40 g/100 g) and soluble fiber (1.29–2.06 g/100 g) content, and low fat, protein, and ash content. The peel exhibited high levels of carbohydrates and total fibers (6.55–11.39 and 12.35–13.12 g/100 g, respectively), while the seed presented high content of fat, protein, and insoluble fiber (10.14–12.62, 9.14–13.24 and 19.84–23.15 g/100 g). Potassium is the main mineral found in both fruits. It is the first time that the carbohydrate profile, volatile components, and phenolic compounds of the fruta-do-lobo and juá-açu are reported. 1-Kestose (GF2) and nystose (GF3) were found in both fruits. The main VOCs of juá-açu were esters, while in fruta-do-lobo, aldehydes were the major components. UPLC-Q-ToF fraction analysis of juá-açu and fruta-do-lobo revealed 24 phenolic compounds, most being hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives in juá-açu, and chlorogenic acids in fruta-do-lobo. The antioxidant capacity (ORAC) of the fruits ranged from 1.35 to 11.51 μmol TE/100 mL of extract. These results indicate that Solanum genus can be interesting for the Brazilian fruit market, and that it has potential to be exploited for agroindustry for diversification of fruit products.