Bioactive Compounds Assessment of the Tropical Fruits Velvet Tamarind, Baobab, and African Locust Bean

The tropical fruits velvet tamarind, baobab, and African locust beans are used as foods and in beverages for medicinal purposes. They are important sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This research focused on the bioactive composition in the fruit pulps and seeds of these African plant species. Spectrophotometric analysis of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays), the quantification and profile of phenolic compounds, hydrosoluble vitamins B and C (HPLC), and fatty acids (GC-FID), and the toxicological analysis of amygdalin (HPLC) and elements (XRF) were assessed. The fruit velvet tamarind exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity, with seed content higher than pulp, primarily due to naringin (54.45 mg/100 g). Baobab presented the second highest TPC and TFC content and antioxidant capacity, with pulp being higher than seed, mainly due to vitamin C (79.97 mg/100 g) and rutin (47.92 mg/100 g). Several bioactive compounds were quantified, such as vitamin C, various hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, ferulic), hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic, vanillic), and polyphenols (quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, rutin, naringin, procyanidin, kaempferol), as well as fatty acids from the ω-3 and ω-6 series. Amygdalin was not detected in any seeds, and Cd content was higher than 0.05 mg/kg of dry weight.