Mass spectrometry characterization, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity of the peel and pulp extracts of Pitomba

Abstract

The fruit of the Talisia esculenta tree, is largely consumed and appreciated for its bittersweet taste; however, detailed information on its constituent bioactive compounds is still scarce. Therefore, this study aims to screen the antioxidant activity by six methods and determine the chemical profile of the pitomba fruit peel and pulp by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-mass spectrometry. This is the first study attempting to identify the bioactive compounds in the pitomba fruit peel. Consequently, 19 and 14 compounds were identified in the ethanolic and hexanic peel extracts, while 7 and 10 compounds were detected in the ethanolic and hexanic pulp extracts, respectively. The common compounds across the board were citric acid, ascorbic acid, and shikimic acid. In addition, the ethanolic peel extract exhibited a high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (54.21-81.41%). The obtained results highlight the importance the pitomba fruit as a promising source of natural compounds with high antioxidant activities.

Keywords: Antioxidant profile; Bioactive compounds; Cytotoxicity; ESI-FT-MS; Pitomba; Talisia esculenta.