Antioxidant evaluation of food grade extracts obtained from soursop (Annona muricata) fruit

The soursop fruit (Annona muricata) is recognized as a source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, although the presence of bioactive compounds such as acetogenins, alkaloids and phenolic compounds has also been reported, with recognized anticancer, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. However, in the production chain of this fruit, one of the problems is the short post-harvest life of 4-9 days. For this reason, an alternative for the use of its bioactive compounds could be to obtain and use soursop extracts to improve the quality of food products. Based on the above, in the present experiment, the changes in firmness, color and weight of soursop fruits in their ripening stages were determined, as well as the amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS methods of two different tissues (peel and pulp) at two different stages of maturity (physiological and consumption) using two types of solvents (70% food grade ethanol and water). The results showed that the extract obtained with a 70% ethanol solution from the peel of fruits at the consumption maturity stage presented significantly higher amounts of phenolic compounds, as well as the highest antioxidant activity. The results support that the peel of the fruit, which is preferably consumed or industrialized fresh, may represent a sustainable alternative for the utilization of the bioactive compounds of soursop as a preservative in food products.