Comparative evaluation of phenolic content and antioxidant activity of selected fruits and herbs during frozen storage

Khadidja Chekima; Sharifudin Md. Sharani; Rovina Kobun; Norliza Julmohammad.

This study evaluates total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), bambangan (Mangifera pajang), pennywort (Centella asiatica), and snake grass (Clinacanthus nutans) during frozen storage at −20 °C for eight weeks. TPC was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activity was measured by the FRAP assay. Fruits were analyzed on a wet-weight basis and herbs on a freeze dried-weight basis, with measurements taken weekly. By the end of storage, TPC ranged from 37.01 ± 0.22 mg GAE/100 g (wet-weight basis) in fruits to 3783.67 ± 46.28 mg GAE/100 g (freeze-dried weight basis) in herbs. Pennywort exhibited the highest antioxidant activity at week 0 and retained 53153.33 ± 4126 µmol Fe(II)/100g at week 8. Final FRAP values for snake grass, bambangan, and mangosteen were 1602.49 ± 63.23, 945.17 ± 28.04, and 337.86 ± 13.05 µmol Fe(II)/100g, respectively. Across all samples, TPC and FRAP were strongly correlated (0.836 ≤ r ≤ 0.971). At week 8, herbs retained approximately 75%–80% of initial antioxidant activity, while fruits retained about 67%–75%. These data show measurable but matrix-dependent declines in phenolics and reducing capacity during frozen storage. Herbs consistently outperformed fruits in both absolute levels and retention, indicating that pennywort and snake grass are robust sources of phenolics for frozen applications.

KEYWORDS: Frozen storage; Antioxidant activity; Mangosteen; Bambangan; Pennywort; Snake grass.



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