Influence of Ripening on Antioxidant Activity of Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Prunus

Cell wall polysaccharides have been of great importance to society and mankind over the years. In the present study Cell wall polysaccharides were extracted from different stages vizImmature green, mature green and ripe stages of Prunus armaniaca Linn. A decrease in the yield of pectin was observed during ripening.The pectin Extracted from various stages of fruit ripening was further analysed for in vitro antioxidant activity by different assays. During the ripening of fruit it was seen than the pectin extracted showed increase in total antioxidant, reducing power and scavenging of hydrogen peroxide which can be related to galacturonic acid content by further studies and can be explored as a novel potent antioxidant. INTRODUCTION: Pectin is the family of complex cell wall polysaccharides that constitute approximately one third of the dry weight of higher plant cell walls . It has been reported that polysaccharides in general have strong antioxidant activities and can be explored as novel potential antioxidants . Pectins are among the cell-wall components whose collective ability to contain the turgor pressure of the cell wall determines its growth . Chemically, pectins are a family of complex heteropolysaccharides comprised by a diversity of carbohydrate residues. Like most other plant polysaccharides, pectins are polydisperse in composition and molecular size, that is, they are heterogeneous with respect to both chemical structure and molecular weight. Their composition varies with the source and conditions of extraction, location, and other environmental factors . The main pectin chain is composed of a (1 -4) linked dgalacturonic acid residues. In the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in evaluating the antioxidant content and distribution patterns of fruits and vegetables. Currently, there is overwhelming evidence indicating that free radicals cause oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Free radicals may lie at the heart of the etiology or of the natural history of a number of diseases, including cancer and atherosclerosis . Fruits and vegetables contain many different antioxidant components MATERIALS AND METHODS: The fruits of different stages of Prunus armaniaca L. were deseeded and subjected to the preparation of AIS. After Preparation of the AIS it was treated with Phenol: acetic acid: water in the ratio of 2:1:1(W/V/V) to degrade the endogenous enzyme activity .