Antioxidant Properties of Prunus Fruit Extracts
Summary
The fruits of the Prunus genus—including peaches, plums, apricots, cherries and nectarines—are rich sources of phytochemicals with notable antioxidant properties. Extracts from fruit peel, pulp and kernel have been shown to contain high concentrations of phenolic acids (such as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids), flavonoids (including quercetin and catechin derivatives) and anthocyanins. These compounds scavenge reactive oxygen species, chelate metal ions and inhibit lipid peroxidation, mechanisms that underlie their potential to mitigate oxidative stress in foods and biological tissues. Antioxidant efficacy varies markedly with species, cultivar, fruit part and extraction parameters; for example, alkaline hydrolysis can liberate bound phenolics more effectively from peach peels, while methanolic peel extracts often surpass pulp in radical-scavenging assays. Beyond direct health benefits, Prunus extracts offer practical applications in food preservation, cosmetic formulations and the valorisation of processing by-products. The global importance of stone fruit antioxidants is underscored by their roles in chronic disease prevention, sustainable utilisation of agricultural waste and development of natural additives in diverse industries.
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Antioxidant Properties of Prunus Fruit Extracts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in antioxidant properties of prunus fruit extracts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phenolics: Plant secondary metabolites containing one or more phenol rings, responsible for radical-scavenging activity.
Flavonoids: Subclass of phenolics characterised by a C6–C3–C6 skeleton, known for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Anthocyanins: Water-soluble pigments in the flavonoid family that contribute to fruit colour and exhibit free-radical scavenging.
GC–MS: Analytical technique combining gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for separation and identification of volatile compounds.
LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS: High-resolution liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation and quadrupole time-of-flight mass analysis for profiling complex phenolic mixtures.
DPPH assay: Common spectrophotometric method measuring the ability of antioxidants to quench the DPPH free radical.
References
- Valorization of Peels of Eight Peach Varieties: GC–MS Profile, Free and Bound Phenolics and Corresponding Biological Activities. Antioxidants (2023).
- High-Throughput Screening and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds in Stone Fruits Waste by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and Their Potential Antioxidant Activities. Antioxidants (2021).
- Comparative Study of Early- and Mid-Ripening Peach (Prunus persica L.) Varieties: Biological Activity, Macro-, and Micro- Nutrient Profile. Foods (2021).
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