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AbstractPolyphenols are abundant micronutrients in our diet that have been credited with chemoprevention of diseases associated with oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the whole ripened fruit of Dacryodes edulis(G.Don) H.J Lam, a multipurpose tree growing in West and Central Africa and other countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, for polyphenol content as well as its antioxidant/radical scavenging capacity. Analysis of the methanol extract of the fruit by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to an ultraviolet dual-array detector and mass-selective detector revealed the presence of catechol (9.27 mg/kg), gallate (10.40 mg/kg), methylgallate (0.88 mg/kg), ellagic acid (3.10 mg/kg), quercetin (0.21 mg/kg), and quercetin rhamnoside (0.76 mg/kg). The extract showed very high antioxidant potential (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 14 μL), but a rather weak radical scavenging activity (IC50= 357 μL), when tested in vitrowith the xanthine oxidase and 2-deoxyguanosine assay model systems, respectively. These results suggest that consumption of D. eduliscould contribute to prevention of diseases that are related to oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractConsumption of certain fruits and vegetables is now widely associated with chemoprevention of degenerative diseases like cancer and cardiovacsular disorders because of their antioxidant components. Polyphenols, a heterogeneous group of compounds, are one of these constituents. Hibiscus esculentusL. (Family Malvaceae), commonly referred to as okro, okra, or lady's finger, is an important component of diet in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, we describe the polyphenol composition and antioxidant potential of H. esculentusof Nigerian origin. Quercetin glucoside (quercetrin) and an unidentified flavonoid were detected. In vitroantioxidant assay of methanol extract of the fruits showed potent antioxidant/radical scavenging activities with 50% inhibitory concentration values of 25 and 43 μL when analyzed by the xanthine oxidase and 2-deoxyguanosine methods, respectively. These data suggest that H. esculentus, popular especially during the rainy season in Nigeria and many tropical West, Central, and Eastern African countries, is a good contributor to the antioxidant status and disease chemoprevention of people in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]