Bioactivity of Atemoya Fruits and By-Products

The atemoya fruit (Annona cherimoya Mill x Annona squamosa L.) has attracted market interest due to its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. However, little is known about its bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the free and bound phenolic profiles, and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the pulp, peels, and seeds of atemoya. The fatty acids composition and tocopherols of atemoya seed oil were also studied. Ten phenolic compounds were observed in the different parts of atemoya: 4 in the free form (catechin, rutin, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid) and 6 in the bound form (p-coumaric, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic and ferulic acids, and quercetin). Overall, the peels had the highest concentration of free and bound phenolics and antioxidant activity when compared to pulp and seeds, and showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. The atemoya seed oil had alpha-tocopherol (19 mg kg(-1) oil) and gamma-tocopherol (90 mg kg(-1) oil), and significant amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (similar to 80%): 43% monounsaturated and 36% polyunsaturated. The study showed that atemoya and its by-products have potential applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.