Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of two Costa Rican cultivars of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana): An underexploited crop in the American tropic

• Published in: Food science & nutrition 2023-06, Vol.11 (6), p.3320-3328
• Main Authors: Cubero‐Román, Eric, Carvajal‐Miranda, Yendry, Rodríguez, Gerardo, Álvarez‐Valverde, Victor, Jiménez‐Bonilla, Pablo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Agricultural production; Antibiotics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; antimicrobial; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Antioxidants; Ascorbic acid; Ber; Cultivars; Ethanol; Farms; Flavonoids; Fruits; Iodine; Metabolites; nutraceutical; Nutritive value; Original; Original Research; polyphenol; Polyphenols; proanthocyanidin; Proanthocyanidins; Solvents; Spectrophotometry; Vitamin C; Ziziphus mauritiana
• ISSN: 2048-7177; 2048-7177
• DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3317

Ber is an antioxidant‐rich fruit from Asia and has recently been cultured in Central America. The antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity of Z. mauritiana cultured of bers from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, were evaluated. Two farm locations and two cultivars were evaluated. Total polyphenolic compounds (TPC), proanthocyanidin compounds (PAC), and ascorbic acid were spectrophotometrically quantified. Antioxidant activity has been analyzed using the DPPH method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Kirby‐Bauer disk diffusion method. Ber samples contained 11–44 mg GAE/g TPC. Green fruits and leaves had the highest concentrations. The ascorbic acid concentration in ber fruits was determined between 251 and 466 mg/100 g. Ber vitamin C content is higher than most common fruits. Proanthocyanidin compounds were determined between 1.8 and 9.9 mg 4‐MCG/g, and the highest concentration was observed in the leaves. Our samples showed the antioxidant activity of 90–387 μmol TE/g, which was moderate activity. The nutritional quality of ber fruits was related to maturity conditions. The ber fruits, a crop from Asia previously adapted to live in Costa Rica, are rich in vitamin C and TPC, and the concentration of those metabolites was even higher than the concentration reported in bers grown in other countries. The TPC and PACs had an interestingly wide antimicrobial spectrum. Cultivars and farm locations have a significant effect on metabolite production. Ber has been cultivated in Asia for many years, and it has been introduced to the American tropic in recent years. We studied the characteristics and benefits of the cultivation of this fruit in Central America. We found out it produces higher antioxidant levels than many other reports, and also shows antimicrobial properties.