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African baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit as promising source of procyanidins

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Abstract

Baobab is an endemic African plant rich in health-promoting compounds and still not extensively studied. Characterization of bioactive molecules in baobab fruit by means of LC system coupled with a photodiode array and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer detector is here reported. This work provides a qualitative and quantitative profile of polyphenols in baobab pulp, shell, kernel and seeds. Baobab pulp is a rich source of ascorbic acid, (−)-epicatechin and procyanidin B2 (135.6, 104.8, and 100.1 mg/100 g). Moreover, a HPLC preparative method to isolate procyanidin fraction from pulp was developed, revealing how the antioxidant activity of baobab pulp not only depend on the ascorbic acid content but also on the presence of procyanidins. The use of baobab fruit pulp as promising healthy food or food supplement is also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

Authors wish to thank Shimadzu Corporation for constantly supporting their research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy

    Marina Russo, Maria Beatrice Ronci, Alessandra Vilmercati, Matteo Gionfriddo, Chiara Fanali, Laura Dugo, Vittoria Locato, Luigi Mondello & Laura De Gara

  2. Dipartimento di “Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali”, University of Messina-Polo Annunziata, Viale Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy

    Luigi Mondello

  3. Chromaleont S.r.L., Viale Boccetta 70, 98122, Messina, Italy

    Luigi Mondello

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  1. Marina Russo
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  2. Maria Beatrice Ronci
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  3. Alessandra Vilmercati
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  4. Matteo Gionfriddo
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  9. Laura De Gara
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Correspondence to Laura De Gara.

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This manuscript is based on a contribution given at CHIMALI 2018, Italian Food Chemistry Congress, Camerino, September 24–27, 2018.

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Russo, M., Ronci, M.B., Vilmercati, A. et al. African baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit as promising source of procyanidins. Eur Food Res Technol 246, 297–306 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-019-03342-9

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