Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Garcinia binucao fruit pulp

Abstract

Garcinia binucao, or  batuan, is a Philippine native fruit widely utilized by locals as a souring agent in cuisines. However, its biochemical properties are still underexplored by research. Hence, this research examined the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of its edible pulp, which served as the basis for the controlled analytical conditions. The process involved sourcing mature fruits from local markets in Samar, Philippines. These were dried, pulverized, and extracted with aqueous methanol. The analysis showed that there was a relatively high total phenolic content (30.35 mg GAE g⁻¹). However, there were lower levels of flavonoids (2.14 mg CE g⁻¹). This suggests that the component is relatively composed of non-flavonoid phenolics. The antioxidant evaluation revealed a strong ferric-reducing capacity (78.86%). Thus, there was moderate radical-scavenging activity (56.51%). This shows that electron-transfer mechanisms may play a more prominent role than hydrogen-atom transfer in the batuan matrix. However, these data are not considered representative of broader variability because the measurements were derived from a single composite extract. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate that G. binucao has phenolic constituents with antioxidant activity. This translates to the possibility of a natural source of bioactive compounds for food applications. Future studies involving similar sampling and compound-specific analyses are necessary to better define its functional properties and practical relevance.