Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of White Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Fruits
Abstract
Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a valuable wild fruit native to the Mediterranean ecosystem, increasingly recognized for the bioactivity of its distinct white and dark purple-black morphotypes. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacities of 70% methanolic extracts derived from white myrtle fruits harvested in the Mersin province. Initial physicochemical analysis determined a moisture content of 72.35±0.05%. Quantitative biochemical assays revealed a total phenolic content (TPC) of 178.28±0.33 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (FW) and a total flavonoid content (TFC) of 50.62±1.34 mg QE/100 g FW. The extracts exhibited robust antioxidant properties, demonstrating a ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of 2247.60±89.20 µmol 〖"FeSO" 〗_4⋅7"H" _2 "O" /100 g FW and a DPPH radical scavenging activity (SC_50) of 1.62±0.02 mg/mL. HPLC-PDA chromatographic evaluation identified gallic acid (1034.41 µg/100 g FW) as the major phenolic constituent, with subsequent quantification demonstrating the presence of rutin (207.06 µg/100 g FW), myricetin (135.66 µg/100 g FW), pinocembrin (97.59 µg/100 g FW), quercetin (64.92 µg/100 g FW), and chrysin (61.06 µg/100 g FW). These findings highlight that white myrtle fruits are a rich source of bioactive compounds, demonstrating strong potential as a value-added functional ingredient for the food and pharmaceutical industries.