Identification and quantification, by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from the Amazonian fruit Caryocar villosum.

The Amazonian region from Brazil has a wide variety of native and wild noncommercially cultivated fruits. This article reports for the first time the composition of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from Caryocar villosum fruit pulp, and, in addition, its proximate composition and antioxidant capacity (ORAC assay) were determined. According to the nutritional composition, water (52%) and lipids (25%) were the major components found in the pulp, and the total energetic value was 291 kcal/100 g. The major phenolic compounds identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS were gallic acid (182.4 μg/g pulp), followed by ellagic acid rhamnoside (107 μg/g pulp) and ellagic acid (104 μg/g pulp). The main carotenoids identified by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS/MS were all-trans-antheraxanthin (3.4 μg/g pulp), all-trans-zeaxanthin (2.9 μg/g pulp), and a lutein-like carotenoid (2.8 μg/g pulp). The antioxidant capacity of the pulp (3.7 mMol Trolox/100 g pulp) indicates that it can be considered a good peroxyl radical scavenger.