Nutritional and pharmaceutical properties of bioactive compounds in organic and conventional growing kiwifruit

Abstract

The bioactivity of two kiwifruit's cultivars growing under organic and conventional conditions were studied and compared. The bioactive compounds were extracted with water and ethanol using similar conditions which are applied in pharmaceutical applications and for daily fruit consumption such as tea drink. Antioxidant radical scavenging assays [ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP); cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS)], fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet spectroscopy, two (2D-FL) and three-dimensional (3D-FL) fluorometry were used for the detection of biologically active metabolites derived from kiwifruits (total phenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls, carotenoids and ascorbic acid). The correlation between the total phenol content (TPC) and other bioactive compounds, and their total antioxidant capacities (TAC) was calculated for studied kiwifruit's extracts. The interaction between drugs and human serum albumin (HSA) plays an important role in the distribution and metabolism of drugs. The properties of kiwifruit's phenol extracts showed their ability to quench HSA, forming the complexes similar to the ones between the proteins and pure flavonoids such as quercetin. The cultivar 'Bidan' exhibited significantly higher TAC than the classic 'Hayward'. In conclusion, for the first time 'Bidan' organic kiwifruit was analyzed and compared with widely consumed 'Hayward', using its bioactive and fluorescence properties. The influence of physiologically active kiwifruit's compounds on human health, through our investigations in vitro and scientifically proven information, was explained. Relatively high content of bioactive compounds, high antioxidant and fluorescence properties of kiwifruit justify its use as a source of valuable antioxidants.