Physico-chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of different jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) cultivars grown in loess plateau of China

The physico-chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of the five main jujube varieties: Junzao, Ling-baozao, Jinzao, Zanhuangzao and Lizao collected from loess plateau of China were determined. The analyzed components included fruit yield, moisture content, total mass per fruit, pH, titratable acidity (TA), reducing sugars, total sugars, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid, total phenolics content, total flavonoids content and several pure phenolic compounds. The output of the analyses showed higher amounts of ascorbic acid and phenolics in these jujube varieties than in some common fruits. The antioxidative capacity of the jujube extracts, evaluated with the reducing power, the beta-carotene bleaching, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydracyl (DPPH center dot.), and the 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS center dot(+)) scavenging methods, showed that the antioxidant activity of the extracts of Lingbaozao was excellent for free radical scavenging and a potent natural antioxidant of commercial value. Statistically significant differences were observed between jujube cultivars investigated with regards to the measured parameters except rutin content of fruit. These results demonstrated that the cultivar was the main factor which influences the physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of jujubes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.